Hand warmer

Attributed to Zhang Mingqi Chinese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 215

Hand warmers, also known as sleeve censers (xiulu), are a luxury personal accessory. Containing a glowing piece of charcoal embedded in ashes, these handheld objects provided welcome warmth in unheated rooms; when incense was added, they also imparted a pleasant fragrance, which would waft from the openwork lid. The mark on its base relates this elegant work to Zhang Mingqi, the most outstanding maker of hand warmers of his time, and beyond.

Hand warmer, Attributed to Zhang Mingqi (Chinese, act. 17th century), Copper alloy, China

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Hand warmer, Attributed to Zhang Mingqi (Chinese, act. 17th century), Copper alloy, China
Hand warmer, Attributed to Zhang Mingqi (Chinese, act. 17th century), Copper alloy, China
Hand warmer, Attributed to Zhang Mingqi (Chinese, act. 17th century), Copper alloy, China
Hand warmer, Attributed to Zhang Mingqi (Chinese, act. 17th century), Copper alloy, China
Hand warmer, Attributed to Zhang Mingqi (Chinese, act. 17th century), Copper alloy, China

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