Notes:
Censers of this type are associated with Marco Polo, as it was a popular belief in the 19th century that they were brought to the Treasury of San Marco in Venice by the explorer, before passing via the Davillier and Grandidier Collections to the Musée Guimet in Paris. A similar Kangxi censer is illustrated in Donnelly, P.J., ‘Blanc de Chine’, pl. 16.; another example complete with a stand is illustrated in Howard, D.S. & Ayers, J., ‘China for the West’, p. 93, pl. 53; see also the catalogue of an ‘Exhibition of Te Hua Porcelain’ (Hong Kong, 1975), Cat. No.s 51 & 52; Pierson, S. ‘Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art’, p.80, pl.78; and Ayers, J., ‘Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen’, Vol. I, p.63.