Celadon Incense Burner with Two Fish-shaped Handles, Ge Ware

This burner imitates the shape of a bronze gui vessel (a food container without cover or handle), which is an ceremonial object that appeared in the Shang and Zhou dynasties (16th century BCE-221 BCE). This simple and elegant object has two symmetrical fish-shaped handles, a foot ring, and an S-shaped body with contracting mouth and round belly. The body is covered with lighter blue glaze with a crackle pattern called “gold threads and iron lines”, which enhances the porcelain. On the bottom are six round spur-marks.
This incense burner is one of the finest porcelains from the Ge kiln of the Song dynasty (960-1279). Although many imitations were created in the Yuan and Ming dynasties (1271-1644), none can compare with this masterpiece. The Qianlong Emperor (r. 1736-1795) treasured this burner. He composed a poem for it in the spring of 1776 and ordered it carved on the bottom of the burner.