论文部分内容阅读
The incense burner is a very important tool in China since it is needed in the customs， religious activities and sacrifices. It could be seen almost everywhere： Buddhist temples， residential houses. Metal， ceramic， pottery， jade and bamboo could all be made into the incense burner， which take the shape of being round， oval， square， rectangular and so on. Some of them even take the shape of cranes， tigers， dragons and so on.
No one could tell when and where the incense burner was originated， but one thing is certain. Its shape saw a lot of changes throughout the history and different incense burners in different dynasties have their own features.
In the ancient time before the Han Dynasty， the incense burner is mainly used in the temples for sacrifices. The shape was quite different from the incense burners we usually see today. It was more like a ball， as the historical book recorded.
In the Eastern Han Dynasty， the Buddhism was introduced into China and soon became the main religion in this country. The incense burners thus got a very important function – a tool in the religious prayer. Thus， its shape had become more fitting to be used in the temple with incenses burning inside it.
In the Jin Dynasty， the ceramic incense burners began to show up and they were quite close to common incense burners in the modern society with three tripartite feet supporting a hollow body （usually having a pair of ears flanking the body）. There are also patterns on the incense burner， which were greatly enhanced in the Tang Dynasty， when the colorful chinaware skills were very developed.
In the Song Dynasty， the culture became unparalleled in the history. The nobles， led by emperors， paid great attention to the recites. They liked the artifacts for sacrificial and religious activities very much. Against that background， the in-cense burners jumped out of the bound as tools for sacrificial and religious events. They were considered to be something worth being collected， appreciated and reviewed. Also in the Song Dynasty， there was a trend that the shapes of incense burners began to follow the ones in the Pre-Qin Dynasty， leading to the great variety of shapes of incense burners.
The incense burners in the Ming Dynasty were largely made of white and blue porcelain. Colorful porcelain incense burners also came out since the advanced skills provided necessary conditions. In the Qing Dynasty， the ceremonies of sacrifices were often staged， requiring a large amount of incense burners. The mass production of incense burners with the same shape was realized in that dynasty. Representative Incense Burners
1.Pair of incense burners
Age： Yuan Dynasty （1279-1368）， ca. early 14th century； Qingbai ware
Production Place： Probably from kilns in the vicinity of Jingdezhen， Jiangxi province
Porcelain with brown， low- and full-relief decoration under bluish white glaze； H. 8 3/4 in. （22.2 cm） In this winsome pair of incense burners that typify the penchant for increasingly elaborate wares in the Yuan period， we see a skillfully orchestrated mix of decorative techniques. The beautifully articulated growling lions with their flowing manes and carefully fashioned features are fully modeled； their bulging eyes are punctuated with iron oxide.
The mold-impressed floral sprays on the six lotus-petal panels of the cuplike containers are all different； while they are rather indistinct， a lotus and peony blossom can be made out. Finally， the potter has carved pendant overlapping lotus petals on the top register of the hexagonal bases， and has finished the feet （in a surprisingly careless manner） in a shape that distantly resembles the “cloud-collar-point” motif.
2.A Pale Celadon Jade Lotus-form Burner and Cover
Age： Qing Dynasty
he vessel naturalistically formed as a lotus flower， the fitted cover pierced with holes to represent the pod， surrounded by leaves and bud growing on long stalks gathered in a tasseled knot， with an egret perched to one side， the semi-translucent stone with a pale celadon tinge and a few grey speckles.
3.Gilded Bronze Incense Burner Carved with Flying Dragons
Age： Ming Dynasty
The incense burner is in the shape of a compressed rectangular bowl with an openwork lid and four ruyi legs. The body of the vessel is carved in high relief with a dragon emerging from the frothing waves. The four corners of the lid are carved with ruyi heads. On the lid are two prancing dragons flying among auspicious clouds culminating to form the finial. The piece is cast by using the lost wax method. The dragons and the clouds are partly gilded. The bottom is clearly inscribed in regular script with the gilt-highlighted characters“made during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty”.
4.The Crane-Shaped Gold Incense Burner
Age： Qing Dynasty
Made of gold， the crane is in a standing and crowing posture， with feathers vividly engraved all over the body. The stomach is hollow for storing fragrant materials and the wings on top serve as the lid. The fragrant air drifts out from the beak. The base at the bottom is shaped like a mountain rock， which is made of bronze and lead. There’s a tendon extending from the bottom of each foot for inserting in the base.
This pair of incense burners used to be ornamental objects in the Qing Dynasty court. The engravings are so intricate that the feathers， joints and even the nails of the claws are lifelike. The whole work is in right proportion and looks tall and straight.
No one could tell when and where the incense burner was originated， but one thing is certain. Its shape saw a lot of changes throughout the history and different incense burners in different dynasties have their own features.
In the ancient time before the Han Dynasty， the incense burner is mainly used in the temples for sacrifices. The shape was quite different from the incense burners we usually see today. It was more like a ball， as the historical book recorded.
In the Eastern Han Dynasty， the Buddhism was introduced into China and soon became the main religion in this country. The incense burners thus got a very important function – a tool in the religious prayer. Thus， its shape had become more fitting to be used in the temple with incenses burning inside it.
In the Jin Dynasty， the ceramic incense burners began to show up and they were quite close to common incense burners in the modern society with three tripartite feet supporting a hollow body （usually having a pair of ears flanking the body）. There are also patterns on the incense burner， which were greatly enhanced in the Tang Dynasty， when the colorful chinaware skills were very developed.
In the Song Dynasty， the culture became unparalleled in the history. The nobles， led by emperors， paid great attention to the recites. They liked the artifacts for sacrificial and religious activities very much. Against that background， the in-cense burners jumped out of the bound as tools for sacrificial and religious events. They were considered to be something worth being collected， appreciated and reviewed. Also in the Song Dynasty， there was a trend that the shapes of incense burners began to follow the ones in the Pre-Qin Dynasty， leading to the great variety of shapes of incense burners.
The incense burners in the Ming Dynasty were largely made of white and blue porcelain. Colorful porcelain incense burners also came out since the advanced skills provided necessary conditions. In the Qing Dynasty， the ceremonies of sacrifices were often staged， requiring a large amount of incense burners. The mass production of incense burners with the same shape was realized in that dynasty. Representative Incense Burners
1.Pair of incense burners
Age： Yuan Dynasty （1279-1368）， ca. early 14th century； Qingbai ware
Production Place： Probably from kilns in the vicinity of Jingdezhen， Jiangxi province
Porcelain with brown， low- and full-relief decoration under bluish white glaze； H. 8 3/4 in. （22.2 cm） In this winsome pair of incense burners that typify the penchant for increasingly elaborate wares in the Yuan period， we see a skillfully orchestrated mix of decorative techniques. The beautifully articulated growling lions with their flowing manes and carefully fashioned features are fully modeled； their bulging eyes are punctuated with iron oxide.
The mold-impressed floral sprays on the six lotus-petal panels of the cuplike containers are all different； while they are rather indistinct， a lotus and peony blossom can be made out. Finally， the potter has carved pendant overlapping lotus petals on the top register of the hexagonal bases， and has finished the feet （in a surprisingly careless manner） in a shape that distantly resembles the “cloud-collar-point” motif.
2.A Pale Celadon Jade Lotus-form Burner and Cover
Age： Qing Dynasty
he vessel naturalistically formed as a lotus flower， the fitted cover pierced with holes to represent the pod， surrounded by leaves and bud growing on long stalks gathered in a tasseled knot， with an egret perched to one side， the semi-translucent stone with a pale celadon tinge and a few grey speckles.
3.Gilded Bronze Incense Burner Carved with Flying Dragons
Age： Ming Dynasty
The incense burner is in the shape of a compressed rectangular bowl with an openwork lid and four ruyi legs. The body of the vessel is carved in high relief with a dragon emerging from the frothing waves. The four corners of the lid are carved with ruyi heads. On the lid are two prancing dragons flying among auspicious clouds culminating to form the finial. The piece is cast by using the lost wax method. The dragons and the clouds are partly gilded. The bottom is clearly inscribed in regular script with the gilt-highlighted characters“made during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty”.
4.The Crane-Shaped Gold Incense Burner
Age： Qing Dynasty
Made of gold， the crane is in a standing and crowing posture， with feathers vividly engraved all over the body. The stomach is hollow for storing fragrant materials and the wings on top serve as the lid. The fragrant air drifts out from the beak. The base at the bottom is shaped like a mountain rock， which is made of bronze and lead. There’s a tendon extending from the bottom of each foot for inserting in the base.
This pair of incense burners used to be ornamental objects in the Qing Dynasty court. The engravings are so intricate that the feathers， joints and even the nails of the claws are lifelike. The whole work is in right proportion and looks tall and straight.