Artwork Page for Incense Burner (Boshan Lu)

Details / Information for Incense Burner (Boshan Lu)

Incense Burner (Boshan Lu)

博山爐

200–100 BCE

China, Western Han dynasty

(206 BCE–8 CE)
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Medium
bronze
Measurements
Diameter: 9.9 cm (3 7/8 in.); Overall: 18.4 cm (7 1/4 in.); Lid: 7.8 x 9.1 cm (3 1/16 x 3 9/16 in.); Container: 11.3 cm (4 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1986.46
Public Domain
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Location
241B Arts of Ancient China
Print
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Did You Know?

Deities (appearing as hunters) and fantastic beasts roam freely among mists and clouds on this incense burner.

Description

The conical cover of this incense burner represents a miniature mountain with hunting scenes. The cover was shrouded in mist and emanated intoxicating smoke through its openwork when fragrant woods and herbs were burnt in its stem cup, transporting its beholder into an imaginative realm.
A weathered bronze vessel features a hemispherical bowl atop a slender stem and circular base. A mottled patina of muted green and dark brown blankets the surface. The conical lid rises into jagged, mountainous peaks, with tiny figures inhabiting a craggy terrain of openwork cutouts. Horizontal ridges encircle the bowl's center, while swirling designs decorate the base. Deep shadows within the lid's crevices accentuate its ancient, weathered texture.

Incense Burner (Boshan Lu)

200–100 BCE

China, Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–8 CE)

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