A pierced bronze incense burner in the form of a bird, Deccan, 16th century, the bird with a scrolling branch from its mouth, on pierced domed stand, 27cm high Note: The peacock was a popular motif in all periods of Indian art. Mark Zebrowski comments on a similar piece attributed to Deccan, late 15th or early 16th Century, in a private collection: ''A large incense burner in the shape of this proud bird strikes a remarkable balance between the abstraction of Islam and the sculptural qualities of the Indian tradition'' (Mark Zebrowski, Gold, Silver and Bronze from Mughal India, London, 1997, p. 95, fig. 87). Provenance: Collection de S.E. Claude Achille Clarac (1902-1999), ambassador de France, Chateau de Haute Roche