Incense burner

China

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 216

This massive tripod incense burner is a rare example of Chinese rootwood carving. Known as “natural wood” (tianran mu), such objects sought to evoke a rustic lifestyle by accentuating the irregularities inherent in rootwood over the regular surfaces of most human-made objects. Replicating the shape of a bronze tripod, it was further imbued with the archaistic taste so highly appreciated among the literati, reflecting both objects of antiquity and nature.

Incense burner, Rootwood, boxwood, and rosewood, China

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Incense burner, Rootwood, boxwood, and rosewood, China
Incense burner, Rootwood, boxwood, and rosewood, China
Incense burner, Rootwood, boxwood, and rosewood, China
Incense burner, Rootwood, boxwood, and rosewood, China

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