Antique Chinese Ge Type Censor with Lion Heads

Ge ware is distinguished by its crackle, especially when there are two types of crackle as evident when viewing this piece from the base which has much smaller crackle pattern than the bulbous sides and bowl. It originates from the Song Dynasty but skillfully copied through the Ming and Qing dynasties through the early 1900s, according to Wikipedia.
 
On this incense holder, the applied lion faces on either side imitating handles are glazed brown, the rest of the bowl a grey glaze with green undertones, the rim showing a brown glazed ring.
 
We identified this from an online search, finding ones almost identical but with rings hanging from the lion faces sold for $ 300-350 at recent auctions. Ours does not have rings nor any suggestion they ever had rings. However, the maker’s mark on the bottom with four Chinese characters matches the style of those on auctioned items.
 
There are pockmarks from the kiln process in the base of the bowl (natural imperfections). It is in excellent condition, no chipping or signs of use visible to us.
 
We believe this was bought in the 1920s or 1930s by the Burr sisters on visits to China.
 
H 2 ¼” x L 4 ¼” (lugs) x D bowl 3 ½”
9 oz
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.