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ID #SA1204843
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£425
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Antique Chinese Scholar’s Studio Bronze Censer – Late Qing Dynasty – Rare Heavyweight (163g) Miniature with Fine Patina
For sale by Sandbanks Antiques
for sale €497     $540
£425
Sandbanks Antiques

Sandbanks Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jan 2025
Browse dealers 205 items
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    Specialising in antique silver, gold boxes, gold coins and objects de vertu. Rare fine-quality imperial chinese porcelain, jades, cloisonné
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Antique Chinese Scholar’s Studio Bronze Censer – Late Qing Dynasty – Rare Heavyweight (163g) Miniature with Fine Patina

19th century
Description

Antique Chinese Scholar’s Studio Bronze Censer – Late Qing Dynasty – Rare Heavyweight (163g) Miniature with Fine Dateskin Patina

A Rare Miniature of Exceptional Quality

Circa 1890

This is a definitive "Scholar’s Desk" (Wenfang) bronze, designed for the private studio of the Chinese literati. Unlike larger, common censers, this palm-sized masterpiece is distinguished by its incredible density and untouched historical surface.

Significant Weight: Measuring just 6cm, it weighs a massive 163 Grams. This density is the primary hallmark of a high-copper, 19th-century workshop casting.

Original "Dateskin" Surface: A rich, reddish-gold patina glows beneath a deep chocolate bronze exterior, the result of over a century of natural handling.

Documented Age: The base features a hand-carved Da Qing Nian Zhi mark, heavily packed with fossilized mineral grit— showing its 100+ year history.

Natural Verdigris: Recesses are filled with stable, crystalline green mineral deposits (not paint), confirming organic atmospheric aging.

Dimensions: 4.5 cm (H) x 6 cm (W).

Weight: 163g.

Period: Late Qing Dynasty (c. 1880–1910).

Condition: Good, Retains historical carbonization from use.

Provenance Label

Declaration

Sandbanks Antiques has dated this Antique Chinese Bronze Censer to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1204843
Description
Antique Chinese Scholar’s Studio Bronze Censer – Late Qing Dynasty – Rare Heavyweight (163g) Miniature with Fine Dateskin Patina

A Rare Miniature of Exceptional Quality

Circa 1890

“
This is a definitive "Scholar’s Desk" (Wenfang) bronze, designed for the private studio of the Chinese literati.
Sandbanks Antiques

Unlike larger, common censers, this palm-sized masterpiece is distinguished by its incredible density and untouched historical surface.

fig 1. A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina.
fig 1. Antique Chinese Scholar’s Studio Bronze Censer – Late Qing Dynasty – Rare Heavyweight (163g) Miniature with Fine Patina

Significant Weight: Measuring just 6cm, it weighs a massive 163 Grams. This density is the primary hallmark of a high-copper, 19th-century workshop casting.

Original "Dateskin" Surface: A rich, reddish-gold patina glows beneath a deep chocolate bronze exterior, the result of over a century of natural handling.

fig 2. A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina.
fig 2. Antique Chinese Scholar’s Studio Bronze Censer – Late Qing Dynasty – Rare Heavyweight (163g) Miniature with Fine Patina

Documented Age: The base features a hand-carved Da Qing Nian Zhi mark, heavily packed with fossilized mineral grit— showing its 100+ year history.

Natural Verdigris: Recesses are filled with stable, crystalline green mineral deposits (not paint), confirming organic atmospheric aging.

Dimensions: 4.5 cm (H) x 6 cm (W).

Weight: 163g.

Period: Late Qing Dynasty (c. 1880–1910).

Condition: Good, Retains historical carbonization from use.

Provenance Label

Date of Manufacture

Sandbanks Antiques has dated this Antique Chinese Bronze Censer to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1204843
Sandbanks Antiques
Sandbanks Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Jan 2025

Specialising in antique silver, gold boxes, gold coins and objects de vertu. Rare fine-quality imperial chinese porcelain, jades, cloisonné

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Sandbanks Antiques Profile Page

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A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina.
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Archive I A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina.

Antique Chinese Scholar’s Studio Bronze Censer – Late Qing Dynasty – Rare Heavyweight (163g) Miniature with Fine Patina

Archive II A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View II
Archive III A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View III
Archive IV A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View IV
Archive V A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View V
Archive VI A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View VI
Archive VII A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View VII
Archive VIII A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View VIII
Archive IX A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View IX
Archive X A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina. View X
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Sandbanks Antiques

Sandbanks Antiques
Telephone 07889 139677
Location
Sandbanks
Poole
Dorset
United Kingdom

By appointment only in Poole or London.
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/sandbanks
Verified Since Jan 2025
Items For Sale 205
Items Sold 86
Sandbanks Antiques
Sandbanks Antiques
Verified Since Jan 2025
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Location: Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom, , By appointment only in Poole or London.
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/sandbanks
Verified
Jan 2025
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A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina.
Antique Chinese Scholar’s Studio Bronze Censer – Late Qing Dynasty – Rare Heavyweight (163g) Miniature with Fine Patina
Ref: SA1204843
A miniature Chinese bronze tripod censer featuring loop handles and an aged reddish-brown patina.
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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectIncense Burners
  • Period19th century
  • StyleQing Dynasty
  • MaterialBronze, Copper Alloy
  • ColourDark Bronze
  • MotifsTripod legs, Loop handles, Flared rim

This nineteenth-century Chinese scholar’s studio bronze censer belongs to the Qing Dynasty. The miniature piece is cast from a copper alloy with a dark bronze and reddish-brown exterior, showcasing a rich dateskin surface with green verdigris deposits in the recesses, historical carbonization from use, and an aged metallic finish. It stands on three short tripod feet beneath a rounded body, framed by an undulating flared rim and two upward-arching loop handles. Measuring 4.5 cm in height by 6 cm in width, the compact vessel is scaled for placement on a home office desk or a library study table to hold incense. In a contemporary home, this small bronze bowl serves as a decorative desktop ornament or a functional incense burner within a gentleman's library or study. The heavy miniature reflects traditional literati craftsmanship through its dense, solid casting and tactile surface texture. It functions as a historical display object on shelving, mantelpieces, or display cabinets, bringing an authentic period accent to an interior without requiring extensive space.

FAQs

In traditional Chinese culture, censers were central objects within a scholars studio, used to burn aromatic materials during contemplation, calligraphy, or meditation. During the Qing Dynasty, these metal vessels served both practical incense-burning purposes and aesthetic functions on writing desks.

Chinese censers were predominantly cast from copper alloys or bronze using lost-wax or piece-mould casting processes. The cast forms were subsequently hand-finished, chased, and patinated to achieve specific surface tones and textures.

Authentic period censers typically display natural surface wear, deliberate weight consistent with dense metal casting, and genuine oxidisation or patina accumulated over time. Construction details such as casting seam smoothing and hand-carved finishing marks also indicate traditional craftsmanship.

A bronze miniature censer works well as a tactile accent object on an office desk, coffee table, or styled bookshelf alongside art monographs and natural elements. Its neutral metallic tones blend easily with dark timber, marble, or minimalist surfaces.

Preserve the original surface by dusting regularly with a dry, soft microfibre cloth. Avoid chemical metal polishes, abrasive pads, or liquid cleansers, as these remove the historic patina and reduce original surface integrity.
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