Tripod incense burner with makara

China

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 220

Resting on three feet in the form of elephant heads, this incense burner features three long-snout dragons circling its body. Derived from Indic makara, this type of mythical creature was introduced into China via Tibetan Buddhism from the thirteenth century. Popular in the Ming court, makara dragons were widely found on stone carvings, porcelain, and cloisonné works throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China

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Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China
Tripod incense burner with makara, Cloisonné enamel, China

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