Chinese Lu or Incense Burner

Drum with painted bands around the top and loose green brush characters on its side.

This porcelain lu or incense burner is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. Porcelain is a fine, hard ceramic made from kaolin clay fired at high heat, and Chinese potters refined it over many centuries into a smooth, durable material. Rounded barrel shape in a grey-green glaze with concentric rings on the flat top and a small central hole. Dotted and dashed blue-green borders encircle the shoulder, and large brushed characters in soft green cover the side. The foot rim is bare and chipped. It is 2.25 inches high and 3 in diameter.

Plenty to say, and all of it in confident brushwork.