Minneapolis Institute of Art

Censer

Hu Wenming

Date

16th-17th century

Medium

Copper, gilt, bronze

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Reflecting the scholarly taste for antiquity, this gilded bronze censer (a container to hold fragrant burning incense) is made in imitation of a Bronze Age ritual vessel known as gui . It is cast and carved in relief, displaying a scrolling pattern in the neck and foot and a succession of lions in the main body, all accented in gilt. The center of the base is inset with a large, rectangular cartouche containing a six-character seal-script mark, which reads, “Made by Hu Wenming of Yunjian.” Yunjian is present-day Songjiang near Shanghai, also the hometown of this metalwork master Hu Wenming, whose craftsmanship was greatly admired during the late Ming dynasty. China, Asia

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.