Minneapolis Institute of Art

Incense boxes and burners

China

Date

late 16th–early 17th century

Medium

Gilt bronze with repoussé decoration

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This finely crafted incense box exemplifies both technical ingenuity and rich symbolic ornament. Its design centers on an inverted U-shaped carrying handle joined to a base, enclosing a hollow rectangular frame. Within this frame, four small drawer-like containers are stacked beneath a rectangular, hopper-shaped incense burner with an open top. A slender metal rod is inserted through one end of the handle and passes through the lid of the upper container, securely locking all components into a single portable unit. The surfaces are elaborately worked in repoussé and openwork. Along the upper frame appear the 12 zodiac animals, embedding the object within a cyclical vision of time. Elsewhere, dragons, animals, and flowering plants emerge from a dense, forest-like pierced ground, their raised forms accentuated with gilding. Intended for a literati’s desk, the incense box evokes movement, vitality, and the rhythmic order of the zodiac. China, Asia

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