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31531 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 - 949-240-6900
 www.dynastycollections.com 
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Chinese and Japanese Incense Burners and Hand-Warmers
China was the first civilization to begin using incense during their religious ceremonies around 2000 BC, and it reached its peak during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) with numerous buildings built specifically for incense ceremonies. Ancient society burned incense along with their prayers and tributes to the heavens and various deities as well as their ancestors. It was also used to purify the interior environment and calm the mind. The intelligentsia had an appreciation and high regard for incense as it was a symbol of elegance. Nobility, the bureaucrats and the upper class scented their clothes with incense which was seen as a symbol of their social status. In Japan during the 6th century incense Kōdō was first introduced into Japan by Korean Buddhist monks for use as mystical aromas in their purification rites. Two hundred years later during the Heian period (794 to 1185), delicate scents were used at the Imperial Court. A samurai or Shogunate during the 14 th century might use it to perfume his armor and helmet, while later on in the Muromachi period (1392-1573) the appreciation spread to the upper and middle classes of society.
The burning of incense created a need for receptacles and censors did not appear until the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-8AD) witha variety of containers, amongst which the censer was the favored of the receptacles for the burning and holding of incense. The "Dou" a ceramic vessel in the Neolithic Age (7500BC-2000BC) and the three-legged "Ding", a bronze vessel, of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1600BC-256BC) inspired the development of the censer. The censer evolved in response to a public demand at the time, which has been proven by the huge number of incense burners excavated from the Han tombs, amongst which the "Boshanlu" ("universal mountain censer") has been regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese censer. The design of the Boshanlu stemmed from the Taoist pursuit of physical immortality. Crafted from metal or ceramic, these censers took their shapes from the "sacred mountains" - or more precisely, the "mountains of the immortals" - and featured related engravings on their lids, most commonly those of the legendary immortals and mythical beasts. During the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), techniques in gold and silver casting as well as fired porcelain matured, as well as the craftsmanship in the production of censers. Sancai ceramic censers and the tripod censers of the Tang Dynasty gradually changed form during the Song dynasty. Especially during the trade route on the Silk Road which facilitated cultural and commercial exchanges between the East and the West, introducing a large number of new styles of incense burners into China, which in turn caused the practice of incense burning to become popular amongst the commoners and expanded the significance of using incense. By then, the appreciation of incense had gradually evolved into a traditional art form for showing off ones personal taste. As an example, the "Shoulu", or hand-held censers born in the Tang Dynasty reflected a unique incense culture. Also known as "Xiulu" (censer held inside a sleeve) and In ancient times, royalty and nobility, high bureaucrats and other members of the upper tier of society always held one of them in their hand when going out in the winter, not only for perfuming their garments and keeping warm, but also for demonstrating social standing.
"Chinese have believed for centuries that warming the hands can soothe the heart"
Hand and foot warmers were first used during the Tang dynasty (907-618), these portable heaters, were called shoulu (hand stoves), "Shouxun" (hand-warmer), these censers which were mostly made of bronze often contained charcoal or potashes that were still warm and were held in the palm for keeping warm they were popular. These ornately decorated containers complete with perforated lids and handles were filled with glowing pieces of charcoal that emitted light and heat through openings in the lid. Chinese had produced an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel which had the lustrous sheen and color tone of silver, was appreciably harder than silver, and did not tarnish in use was known as paktong. In Japanese homes they would offer guests small roundish ceramic pot with fuel to warm their hands which were called a te-aburi. |
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Chinese Bronze Small Incense Burner
The small rounded foliated form with a handle, and reticulated lid with a cracked ice pattern with leaves. It is signed on the base.
Age: 19th century
Size: 5 �" high x 5" diameter
Item: 174 |
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Exquisite Japanese Bronze Koro
The bronze incense burner has on one side of the body a pair of minogame turtles and on the other side a pair of cranes, reticulated lid with a pair of cranes, and the loop handle with a floral motif and a small bird on each side of the handle in high-relief.
Age: 19th Century
Size: 5" high
Item: 1179
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Japanese Bronze Rectangular Koro
The small rectangular incense burner with two recessed panels that are decorated in high-relief with birds perched on tall grasses, the lid has an opening and a finely cast leaf motif.
Age: Late 19th Century
Size: 3 �" high x 5 �" wide
Item: 1178
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Chinese Bronze Mule Censor
The bronze mule censor standing foursquare with his neck downwards with his head facing towards the right and his long full tail swished over his rear left leg. The removable reticulated saddle has a scrolled foliate motif.
Age: Early 20th century
Size: 5 �" high x 8" wide
Item: 196 |
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Chinese Spinach Jade Censor
Small carved squat tripod jade censor with four loop handles and a dome top, with reticulated bird and floral motif panels decorating the body and cover.
Age: Mid 20th Century
Size: 5" high
Item: 1230
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Ornate Chinese Gilt Bronze Censor
Unusual Chinese gilt bronze censor with an ornately detailed cover with reticulated top with gilt leaf motif and ginseng finial, gilt ginseng loop handles as well as ginseng feet on a separate rectangular base that has a reticulated top.
Age: 20th century
Size: 17" high x 10" wide x 87" deep (43.2 x 25.4 x 20.3 cm)
Item: 212
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Superb Japanese Bronze Signed Koro
This finely cast and exquisite incense burner with the sides decorated with a raised stylized dramatic wave pattern. The reticulated lid is depicting a high-relief dragon surrounded by a cloud motif. It is signed on the base with the artist's signature in the upper right-side within a recessed area that has an irregular curved edge, and on the left of the signature is a row of symbols.
Age: Taisho Period (1912-1926)
Size: 7" high x 10" diameter
Item: 670
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Small Chinese Tripod Bronze Censor
This small censor has three elephant heads with their trunks as the legs and archaic upright handles, and the cover with radiating openings with a temple lion finial.
Age: Late 19th century
Size: 5" high
Item: 772
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Superb Chinese Bronze Censor
The round bronze censor is decorated with landscape scene with figures on horseback and holding Swords chasing a tiger and on the reticulated lid is a pagoda with male figures and a few men on horseback in a garden setting. It has an apocryphal Xuande's mark, but is dated to the 20th century.
Age: Circa 1950's - 1960's
Size: 5-1/2" ht. X 8" diameter
Item: 1243 |
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Chinese Paktong Bronze Handwarmer
Chinese Paktong Bronze Handwarmer in a round form with an upright double loop handle. The pierced cover has the shou symbol of happiness surrounded by bats and coins also the symbol of happiness. It is signed on the base.
Age: 19th Century
Size: 6" diameter
Item: 1252
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 Antique Chinese Bronze Handwarmer This old and unadorned Chinese handwarmer with double rounded handles has a nice design with its simple lines, and a perforated lid with round holes. There are some dents on the sides of the body and a dull finish. Age: 20th Century Size: 4 �" high x 8" diameter Item: 1181 |
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