Chinese Tripod Censer with Floral Motifs

Lotus flowers pressed into celadon, and three small feet holding the lot.

This tripod censer with floral motifs is from China and dates to the Qing Dynasty, 1644 to 1912 CE. It is porcelain. Censers of this broad, footed form were used to burn incense on altars and in scholars' studios, and celadon glazes have long been admired for their jade-like color. The wide, rounded bowl is carved with a band of scrolling flowers and leaves under a cloud-like collar. A flat rim folds outward, and three short feet sit beneath. The glaze is a soft gray-green, with dark lines visible at the inside rim. It is 5.25 inches high and 11.8 in diameter.

Smoke has rarely been asked to rise from anything so serene.