Chinese Antique Qing Dynasty, Fu Dog crystal censer . Chinese crystal covered censer, cast in a round globular form with tripod footings protrude from the bottom of the censer raised on like elephant legs, emerged two animal Fu dog mask handles suspending free ring on both sides from the gathering lip. The dome crystal lid carved with free ring toward the boy play with Fu dog bud finial. All reserved in ornamentations are rendered in clear crystal underglaze base color. The main body decorated with huge fresh foliage warp the exterior. The Dogs are an important motif in Chinese mythology. These motifs include a particular dog which accompanies a hero, the dog as one of the twelve totem creatures for which years are named, a dog giving first provision of grain which allowed current agriculture, and claims of having a magical dog as an original ancestor in the case of certain ethnic groups. For thousands of years, a twelve-year cycle named after various real or mythological animals has been used in Southeast Asia. This twelve-year cycle, sometimes referred to as the "Chinese zodiac," associates each year in turn with a certain creature, in a fixed order of twelve animals, after which it returns to the first in the order, the Rat. The eleventh in the cycle is the Dog. Dogs and humans are friends who share life's ups and downs. It's believed that the Dog is caring and reasonable due to its unswerving loyalty to humans, having many symbolic cultural meanings from the perspective of folklore. The symbolic cultural meanings and legends of the Dog are the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the ancient people. Crystal censer as a trail of shimmering light, reflecting, in shape of square form, and with translucent


Measurements: Height 4-7/8" Width: 5-1/2"
Weight: 810g

Lot Notes:

The history of censers in Chinese culture probably began in the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770–256 BCE). The Chinese words meaning "censer" are compounds of lu ("brazier; stove; furnace"), which originated as a type of Chinese bronze. Xianglu (with "incense") "incense burner; censer" is the most common term. Xunlu (with "smoke; fumigate; cure (food) with smoke", with "fragrance; an aromatic grass") means "small censer. Shoulu (with "hand") means "hand-held censer; handwarmer". The boshanlu ("universal mountain censer" or boshan Xianglu) or hill censer, which became popular during the era of Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BCE), displayed a microcosmic sacred mountain (esp. Mount Kunlun or Mount Penglai). These elaborate censers were designed with apertures that made rising incense smoke appear like clouds or mist swirling around a mountain peak The Han Dynasty scholar Liu Xiang wrote a (c. 40 BCE) boshanlu inscription. I value this perfect utensil, lofty and steep as a mountain! Its top is like Hua Shan in yet its foot is a bronze plate. It contains rare perfumes, red flames and green smoke; densely ornamented are its sides, and its summit joins azure heaven. A myriad animals are depicted on it. Ah, from it sides I can see ever further than Li Lou, Archeologists excavated many (c. second century BCE) boshanlu at Mawangdui, and some contained the remains of ashes. Analysis revealed aromatic plants such as maoxiang ("Imperata cylindrical, thatch grass"), gaoliangjiang ("Galangal"), xinyi ("Magnolia Lili flora, Mulan magnolia), and gaoben ("Ligusticum sinense, Chinese lovage"). Scholars presume burning these grasses "may have facilitated communication with spirits" during funeral ceremonies. Thus all in all there is much reason for thinking that the ancient Taoists experimented systematically with hallucinogenic smokes, using techniques which arose directly out of liturgical observance. … At all events the incense-burner remained the center of changes and transformations associated with worship, sacrifice, ascending perfume of sweet savor, fire, combustion, disintegration, transformation, vision, communication with spiritual beings, and assurances of immortality. Wai tan and nei tan met around the incense-burner. Might one not indeed think of it as their point of origin? These Waidan ("outer alchemy") and neidan ("inner alchemy") are the primary divisions of Chinese alchemy.