Incense burner, end of 13th or beginning of 14th century; Mamluk
Damascus, Syria
Brass, inlaid with gold and silver
Technical Glossary
Damascus, Syria
Brass, inlaid with gold and silver
Diam. 6 in. (15.2 cm)
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917 (17.190.2095)
Spherical incense burners, few of which have survived, were hung from the ceiling or from the vault of an arch, and the ingenious system of gimbals (also called cardan joints) inside the sphere stabilized the burning incense in the swinging container.
