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Tripod censer

mid-18th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 220
This incense burner bears a marbleized orange color that successfully imitates realgar, an arsenic sulfide mineral. The ore was used in Chinese traditional medicine as an antidote to various venoms and was thought to ward off evil. By evoking realgar, this vessel would have been imbued with power, making it a highly prized item for a scholar’s desk.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 清乾隆 雄黃料玻璃三足爐
  • Title: Tripod censer
  • Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qianlong mark and period (1736–95)
  • Date: mid-18th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Glass
  • Dimensions: H. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm); Diam. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
  • Classification: Glass
  • Credit Line: Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation and Barbara and William Karatz Gifts, 2020
  • Object Number: 2020.334
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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