Incense burner
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.
Artwork Details
- 清 天然木香鼎
- Title: Incense burner
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: late 18th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Rootwood, boxwood, and rosewood
- Dimensions: H. 22 1/16 in. (56 cm); Diam. 13 in. (33 cm)
- Classification: Wood
- Credit Line: Purchase, Seymour Fund, by exchange, 2023
- Object Number: 2023.403a–c
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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