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Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer - Gary - Feb 14, 2011 (05:29 PM)
- Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer - rat - Feb 15, 2011 (09:47 PM)
  - Re: Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer - mikeoz - Feb 16, 2011 (09:59 PM)
- Re: Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer - Gary - Feb 17, 2011 (03:46 AM)
  - Re: Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer - rat - Feb 18, 2011 (12:05 PM)

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Subject:Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer
Posted By: Gary Mon, Feb 14, 2011 IP: 94.10.87.242

Can anyone help?

I'm trying to identify this impressed mark on a Chinese bronze censer.

I can read 'Xuande' but the rest is a mystery...Any help would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

Subject:Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer
Posted By: rat Tue, Feb 15, 2011

not Chinese charactes I think but the designs flanking "xuande" are meant as decorative marks recalling the dragon and other zoomorphic forms on archaic bronzes. have never seen another example of this though.

Subject:Re: Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer
Posted By: mikeoz Wed, Feb 16, 2011

Rat is right. The two figures are - on the right, the white tiger, and on the left, the dragon. The other two sacred creatures (not shown) are the snake and the tortoise.

Subject:Re: Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer
Posted By: Gary Thu, Feb 17, 2011

Thanks for your input on this one people...

I take it wouldn't be Xuande period then?

I wonder if anyone has anyone ever come across this mark before?

Gary.

Subject:Re: Help!! Unusual reign mark on Chinese bronze censer
Posted By: rat Fri, Feb 18, 2011

almost certainly not xuande period, as almost none of the thousands of bronzes marked xuande are, but someone may be able to narrow the timing of manufacture down if you post a couple of photos of the object