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.a
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 bronze vessel shaped like a goblet is finished in a mottled, matte coating of pale green and dark gray. Its rounded bowl features a stepped rim above a cylindrical stem with raised horizontal bands. The stem flares into a wide base sculpted with rugged, rock-like forms resembling mountains. Pitted and uneven throughout, the surface has a crusty texture where thick layers of weathered patina obscure the dark, aged bronze.

Incense Burner (Boshan Lu)

200–100 BCE

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

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