Bold and impressive, this four-sided rectangular vase was made for holding incense sticks at a Chinese altar. Rendered in champleve technique, where the enamel colors are filled in to recessed areas of the metal field, the four sides repeat the same design: archaic characters for felicity and longevity are in a cloud-dotted field of deep red enamel bordered by bands of alternating colors -- white, red, blue, green and yellow. Also in archaic script is a molded-in seal on the bottom, probably t ...click for details
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