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The object in the attached pictures was left in my fathers house. Apparently my family acquired it some time ago. It seems to be very old and has a very curious inscription on the underside. It is heavy for its size, which is approximately 7.5 inches in diameter and 3 inches high. I was wondering anyone could tell me anything about the inscription or the significance of the object itself.

Charles, this bronze or brass censer has on its base a four-character mark of "Xuan De Nian Zhi" (Made during the Xuande Reign) in zhuanshu seal-carving script. Chinese metal-casting arts bloomed during the Ming Dynasty's Xuande Reign (1426-35), a fact honored by subsequent generations of metalsmiths with apocryphal versions of the mark. The surface of your censer seems to lack the patina I've come to associate with antique Chinese bronzes, so I suspect the piece dates to the Republic Period (1912-25) or later. I include a photo of a Qing Dynasty Qianlong Era (1736-95) mark and period censer for comparison. The diameter is about the same as yours. Best regards, Bill H

Bill, thank you so much for the info. Is it possible that the petina was somehow removed? There seems to be a white residue present in any indentations. I found a similar piece that is authentic from the same period with the petina removed. Is there any way to cast away all doubt as to when it was made?

Patina is easily removed with metal polish, and I've seen examples of valuable antique bronzes stripped of considerable worth by owners who thought their tarnished old curio needed a good shine. Bronzes are secondary to my collecting focus, so I might not be the best judge of yours, although I suppose there are others out there somewhere who might be able to give you a good opinion on authenticity just by the pictures alone. Also, some of the larger auction houses offer free evaluation services. Sothebys, for example, has a link at their website (just google their name to find it). Such appraisals are strictly of whether the item meets their auction standards or not, but if they say that your censer doesn't, then you can pretty much rest assured that the piece is a replica. Good luck, Bill H

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