Chinese Long Carved Bamboo Incense Tube

Pale cylinder carved all over with faint scrolling shapes.

This long carved bamboo incense tube is from China. Carving on bamboo is a long-established craft in China, and incised designs often feature landscapes, calligraphy, flowers or scenes from literature. Long cylindrical tube in light golden wood, covered in shallow carved designs of curling forms. A dark band separates the capped top from the body. The finish is mellow and softly polished. It is 9.5 inches long and 0.7 in diameter.

Restraint in the shape, indulgence in the carving.