清乾隆 銅胎畫琺瑯香具鑪瓶|Four-lobed box (from incense set)

Unknown

second half 18th century · Painted enamel on copper alloy · Asian Art

Introduced from Europe, the technique of painted enamel was also commonly used by Chinese makers to decorate local wares, such as this incense set. Three-piece sets like this one appeared in China no later than the thirteenth century and included censers to burn small pieces of incense over burning charcoal. The box would have contained incense woods or balls, and the bottle would have held a pair of chopsticks and a spatula for handling the incense materials. (Set includes (81.1.638a–c, .642, .637a, b)

Artist

Unknown

Date

second half 18th century

Medium

Painted enamel on copper alloy

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of Stephen Whitney Phoenix, 1881