Chinese Censers

Incense burning and censers have been a large part of Chinese and traditional culture since the Neolithic period. Varying in use from perfuming fabrics to being used as offerings to ancestors, these censers served both functional and ornamental purposes.

Some of the earliest excavated censers have been dated back to about 206 B.C. Since then, censers have taken many different forms beyond the simple three-footed round bowl shape. While some took forms of realistic or mythological beasts, others took the form of mountains, or "boshanlu." When boshanlu were lit with incense, the smoke is meant to surround the shape just as clouds would a grand mountain peak.

Quick Facts

• Most boshanlu were sculpted to represent the mountains of the immortals- particularly Mount Kunlun or Penglai
• Incense was highly recommended as a remedy for ocular ailments, as a method to tell time, as offerings to deities and ancestors, and as an art form accompanying other leisurely activities
• In 1979, a beautiful 18th century jade censer was stolen from the Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University. The vessel appeared on the market 35 years later in 2014 at an auction house in Hong Kong. The censer has now been returned to its place at the Fogg Art Museum