Censer, c. 1600-1610 CE, by Zhu Zhenmimg

Censer, c. 1600-1610 CE, by Zhu Zhenmimg, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. From the censer's description on [artsmia.org](www.artsmia.org): *'Reflecting the scholarly taste for antiquity, this gilded bronze censer is made in vague imitation of a Bronze Age ritual vessel known as gui. It is cast and carved in relief, displaying a wave pattern in the main body, with eight mythological ocean animals, including sea horse, lion, elephant, and dragon, all accented in gilt. The center of the base is inset with a large, rectangular cartouche containing a six-character seal-script mark, which reads, “Made by Zhu Zhenmimg of Yunjian.” Yunjian is present-day Songjiang near Shanghai, also the hometown of metalwork master Hu Wenming, who created the vase in the shape of a bronze zhi. Zhu worked in Hu’s workshop, where he completely assimilated the master’s style and then became an independent artisan..."* More information [here](https://collections.artsmia.org/art/45525/censer-zhu-zhenming)