Cast in fine bronze with a chestnut red body, the piece is smooth and serene. The round opening with a raised rim drops smoothly down to a round abdominal. From below the abdominal section, it gradually narrows into a round bottom supported by three bestial legs. On the bottom, the three rows of characters, Made in the Xuande Period of the Ming Dynasty, are written across three lines in regular script and are embossed in a square frame. The bronze censer has a spherical abdominal with three plump bestial legs supporting the entire weight of the piece. Cleverly, the delicate outline of the round opening with a raised rim cancels out the overall weighty look. In other words, the entire piece prevails through its contours. It is a highly artistic vessel for incense burning.

D: 6.5 cm
W: 572 g