Chinese Incense Burner or Censer

Seated figure with big ears and folded arms, patterned like a very smart waistcoat.

This incense burner or censer is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. It is bronze. Bronze incense burners have a long history in China, where burning incense has been part of ritual, scholarly and domestic life for many centuries. Squatting figure with a broad face, round ears, and hands resting on its knees. The glossy brown body is covered with fine incised panels and bands down the chest. A small handle shows behind, and the surface is smooth with dark patches. It is 3 inches wide, 3 deep and 4 high.

Seated, serene, and dressed in meticulous etching.