Blue and White Offering Censer

Designed to hold burning incense, censer bowls have been used throughout China for thousands of years. Incense made from dried aromatic plants and essential oils would be burned within the home to cleanse interiors and honor ancestors during ritual prayer. This 19th-century porcelain censer likely once resided upon the family altar of a provincial Qing-dynasty home. Beautifully painted with a cobalt glaze, the blue and white censer depicts a platform laden with offerings, surrounded by graceful tall grass and trailing vines. Two coins rest against the platform as emblems of wealth and prosperity.