Three Legged Incense Burner

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. Comprised of northern elmwood and many layers of dark lacquer, this 19th-century censer once resided upon the family altar of a provincial Qing-dynasty home. Supported by three broad legs, the censer's round basin is perfect as a rustic planter or cachepot.