Lot 3594158: 19th c. Chinese Bronze Censer

Chinese bronze censer on fitted wooden base, fitted pierced wooden top. Bronze censer highlighted with panels of foliage and fretwork patterns plus two applied raised decorations, all supported by tripod feet. Old paper label on wooden base and top. 5 1/2" H x 5 1/4" Diameter. Mid 19th century. Provenance: From the collection of Emil Sigmund Fischer (1865 – 1945). Born in Vienna, Fischer was a banker and world traveler, moving to Shanghai, China in 1894. He moved to New York City from 1899 to 1906 and then later returned to China, settling in Tientsin, working as an importer and exporter. During World War II, he was held as a prisoner by the Japanese beginning in 1941 until his death in 1945. He wrote two travel books titled "Guide to Peking and Its Environs "(Tientsin, 1909) and "Travels in China, 1894 – 1940" (Tientsin, 1941). Descended through the family of Emil Fischer. References: NYT, March 2, 1945, "The United States in Asia, A Historical Dictionary" by David Shavit, 1990, pp. 166-167 and Ancestry.com. Condition: Finail missing from top. Small hole in base near one foot. Minor surface grime.