A FINE ARMENIAN ENCRUSTED AND ENAMELLED PARCEL-GILT SILVER FILIGREE CENSER
Possibly Ottoman Turkey or Eastern Anatolia, 18th century

Of spherical shape imitating the form of a pomegranate, supported by three sinuous, slanted, S-shaped legs with twisted-rope design, resting on a shallow rounded saucer with scalloped rim imitating the petals of a rosette and three baluster-shaped feet, the lower section of the censer surmounted by a hinged cover showcasing six parcel-gilt sprouting vegetal tufts as incense tubes and fleshy filigree leaves, two silver chainlets attached to the sides, the exterior embellished with polychrome-enamelled flower heads, mostly rosettes and carnations, painted in the tones of green, turquoise, white and pink, the floral medallions once set with precious stones, now replaced with green and red glass beads, the filigree work mostly presenting conventional scrollwork and spiral designs, stamped with a Dutch control mark around the rim of the cover, the censer 7cm diam., the base 18cm diam., overall 16.2cm high, 502gr.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 10 November 2021, lot 34.

For comparable examples demonstrating the skillfulness of Armenian silversmiths working in the Ottoman lands and their tradition of fine filigree censers, please see Christie's London, 24 April 2015, lot 397; and Bonhams London, 29 March 2022, lot 105. In particular, Bonhams lot presents the same shape and style as our lot.