Chinese Famille Verte Guardian Incense Censer
Updated August 18, 2026
| Lot number | 208 |
| Estimate | 100.00 - 200.00 USD |
| Auction | AUGUST AUCTION |
| Date | August 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT |
| Auction house | Big Shanty Auction |
| Location | Marietta, Georgia |
Chinese polychrome porcelain incense censer of rectangular footed form, surmounted by a removable recumbent guardian lion or foo dog modeled in the round. The lion is decorated with vivid cobalt-blue circular rosettes with yellow centers, iron-red spiral markings, striped tail, and expressive facial details, while the rectangular body is painted on multiple sides with colorful figures in garden and landscape settings rendered in green, blue, yellow, aubergine, and iron-red enamels. The upper surface is covered in a dense turquoise-green scrolling ground surrounding a shaped aperture concealed beneath the removable lion, confirming the piece’s function as an incense censer rather than simply a covered box. The body rests on short bracket feet with blue accents, and the underside bears a painted square seal-style mark. Similar Chinese famille verte censers and porcelain guardian-lion forms are well represented in the auction market, though age, quality, and attribution vary considerably. Condition appears generally good with scattered surface and enamel wear, firing irregularities, discoloration around the censer opening, and expected minor rubbing and soiling; no obvious major restoration or structural break is visible in the photographs. Measures 5.5"H x 3.75"W x 2.75"D
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