Description

Antique Chinese bronze tripod censer, with lions’ heads for handles and beautiful hand-scribed calligraphy on its front over a textured ground. The four characters on the bronze read “to keep and appreciate forever”. The signature is dated the ninth year of Guangxu (1884). Some family members dedicated this to their deceased ancestor’s 70th birthday. The first two characters are the name of an island in a fairy tale, inhabited by immortals. The last two characters mean “love spring”. It also has the hidden meaning “to live happily forever”. So, the whole sentence reads “Wish you live happily on the fairy island forever”.

19th century

Size: 3.5″ x 2.75″ x 2.75″ H