Large Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Incense Burner Modeled as a Caparisoned Elephant

Description

A large Chinese cloisonné enamel incense burner modeled as a caparisoned elephant on a stepped octagonal base, circa 1880. The body is worked in turquoise ground cloisonné with repeating scrollwork and diapered borders, organized by framed saddle cloth reserves and key fret banding. A pierced gilt bronze railing encloses the upper platform, and the interior of the elephant forms the functional incense chamber accessed from above. The upper structure is the defining element and is built as a vertical, removable assembly rather than a simple cover. It rises from a cloisonné platform and stacks upward in distinct layers of gilt metal figures and mounts. At the lower level, a pair of facing phoenixes rest on oval pads, backed by curling leaf sprays that form an open framework. Above them, rosette mounts hold cabochons, including a pale jade cabochon and a red agate cabochon, positioned as the central “node” between the phoenixes and the summit. At the very top, the largest figure is a bat, clearly modeled with outstretched wings and set as the apex of the composition. This entire finial lifts off as a single unit to open the incense cavity, so the iconographic program is also the mechanical lid system. Read as a physical hierarchy, the imagery moves upward from the elephant form to the principal saddle cloth reserve, where a dragon appears amid cloud motifs above a wave band, and then rises again through the finial with the paired phoenixes and the bat crowning the apex. In Qing visual language, elephant subjects were used for auspicious wordplay, with “xiang” sounding like “xiang” in phrases that convey good fortune, and this association helps explain why an elephant form was paired with an elaborate back mounted display rather than a plain cover. The dragon and phoenix motifs reinforce a “dragon and phoenix” auspicious register, while the bat at the summit adds a second layer of wordplay, since “fu” can indicate “blessings,” and its placement at the highest point makes it the first motif read in silhouette. Christie’s has also noted that large cloisonné elephant form display pieces relate to long standing palace hall display traditions, where monumental cloisonné and gilt metal objects were arranged as formal furnishings, and the tall finial here functions as a vertical emblem while still providing direct access to the incense chamber. The piece is made in the cloisonné technique, with thin metal wires affixed to a copper alloy ground to form compartments that are filled with colored enamels and fired in successive stages, then polished to a level surface. The gilt elements, including the balustrade, border mounts, and the complete finial assembly, are separately cast and attached after enameling, with chased line work used for feather, leaf, and border detail. Buyer relevant points include the intact multi part construction with a removable finial lid that integrates the bat, the paired phoenixes, and the supporting mounts into a single working component.

Details

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