In Galleries, More Treasures From the East.

If ''Confucius: His Life and Legacy in Art'' at China Institute Gallery has a knockout visual attraction, it is the set of hefty enamel-on-copper altar vessels from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The set has five components: a round-bellied incense burner; two vases with slithery dragon handles; and a pair of candle holders with bell-shaped bases, capacious receptacle trays and spikes on top. The outstanding size of each piece is arresting, but it is color that delivers the punch: fat pink peonies wreathed in leaves of a succulent green against a daffodil-yellow ground. The set was a product of imperial largesse, custom-made for the Confucius shrine in Qufu. And it makes a festive jumping-off point for visits to the many gallery shows of East Asian art in Manhattan this week, of which I'll mention three. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]