Incense burner with peacock and peony

China

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 213

Scenes of peacocks flying among peonies and trees were meticulously rendered with silver damascening over an iron body. Although this censer bears a Xuande reign mark on its base, the style of writing and the format depart from those of imperially commissioned bronzes of the Xuande era (1426–35). The much freer style of decorative motifs further indicates that it was likely made in Derge, East Tibet (now Gengqing, Sichuan Province), a center of damascening production.

Incense burner with peacock and peony, Iron damascened with silver, China

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