A GOLD-SPLASHED 'TWO MONKEYS' BRONZE CENSER

The body of this elegant bombé form vessel flows smoothly into four pointed feet. Its waisted oblong neck with everted rim is set with two monkeys crouching in a naturalistic pose on the opposite short sides, each holding a peach, the symbol of immortality. This superb example of craftsmanship could be purely decorative, but it has most likely been used as a censer, given the material. The underside is marked with four embossed characters "dongtian fudi", which means "paradise, fairytale realm".