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Incense Burner in Form of a Praying Mantis

second half 19th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 226
Since ancient times, Japanese artists have depicted a wide variety of living creatures. Everyday insects and animals were imbued with meanings derived from their appearance, behaviors, and even their names, and were used as motifs representing the changing seasons and wishes for an auspicious life and future. The praying mantis has long been regarded in Japan as a beneficial creature because it preys on insects that damage crops. Its image even appears on Yayoi-period (300 BCE–300 CE) bronze bells, used in agricultural rituals for safe and plentiful rice harvests. The mantis also features prominently in Chinese classical anecdotes, in which it sometimes symbolizes the weak who, unaware of their own limitations, boldly confront a stronger adversary. Through these layered associations, the mantis became an enduring subject in Japanese decorative arts.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 蟷螂形香炉
  • Title: Incense Burner in Form of a Praying Mantis
  • Period: Meiji period (1868–1912)
  • Date: second half 19th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Iron, gold, silver lining
  • Dimensions: H. 3 1/3 in. (8.9 cm); L. 6 in. (15.2 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork
  • Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
  • Object Number: 36.120.669a, b
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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