A rare and fine Chinese bronze censer, Cheng Qu Mao Tang 城曲茅堂 mark, 17th C.

L.: 17 cm - H.: 6,5 cm 

Weight: 1817 grams

Provenance: An important Belgian private collection.

Regarding the origin of the 'Cheng Qu Mao Tang 城曲茅堂' mark:

Lan Ying 藍瑛 (1585-1666), was an outstanding painter of the Ming Dynasty. His courtesy name was Tianshu 田叔, and he was also known by several other pseudonyms such as Diesou, later Shitoutuo, Shanggong, Wanzhuan Azhuzhe, Xihu Yanmin, and Dongguo Laonong. His residence bore the inscription 'Cheng Qu Mao Tang (城曲茅堂)'. He was from Qiantang (modern-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang), and was one of the representative painters of the later Zhejiang school.

Lan Ying was skilled in calligraphy and painting, excelling particularly in flowers and birds, plum blossoms and bamboo; with landscapes being his most renowned genre. His landscape painting followed the traditions of the Song and Yuan dynasties, but he also developed his own distinctive style. He was influenced by the painter Shen Zhou, inspired by his delicate and elegant brushstrokes. He studied and imitated the works of painters from the Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, with a special dedication to Huang Gongwang. In his later years, his brushwork became vigorous and powerful, with a grand and imposing style, comparable to Wen Zhengming and Shen Zhou. His notable works include "Autumn Mountains with Red Leaves", "Conversations on the Riverbank", "White Clouds and Red Trees", "High Autumn in Pine Mountains", and "Majestic Trees on Rocky Cliffs". His painting style had a significant influence in the late Ming period, and many followed his techniques.

關於“城曲茅堂”款式的來源：
藍瑛(1585-1666)，明朝傑出畫家，字田叔，號蝶叟，晚號石頭陀、山公、萬篆阿主者、西湖民，又號東郭老農，所居榜額曰“城曲茅堂”，錢塘(今浙江杭州)人，是浙地後期代表畫家之一。
工書善畫，長於山水、花鳥、梅竹，尤以山水著名。其山水法宗宋元，又能自成一家。師畫家沈週，落筆秀潤，臨摹唐宋、元諸家，師黃公望尤為致力。晚年筆力蓊蒼勁，氣象峻噌，與文徵明、沈週並重。作品有:《秋山紅葉圖》《江皋話古圖》《白雲紅樹圖》《松岳高秋圖》等，其畫派在晚明影響甚大，傳其畫法者甚多。