Chinese Lu or Incense Burner

Ribbed like a tiny jar, with a rough, pitted lid and smudged blue characters.

This porcelain lu or incense burner is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. Incense burners in China are generally associated with offerings to ancestors and deities, and with the quiet rituals of reading, meditation and welcoming guests. Ribbed form with stepped horizontal ridges and a flat, unglazed top pocked with dark specks and a small central hole. The sides carry faded blue brush marks in a pale glaze, and a crusty off-white deposit clings to the surface in patches. It is 2.75 inches high and 3 in diameter.

Earthy, speckled, and thoroughly lived in.