The shape of this censer is
like a long-stemmed lotus blossom and is decorated with a lotus petal pattern. The lower
base area is decorated with details of lotuses with spreading lotus petals as the base.
The stem serves as the handle and is decorated with long leaves. In old catalogues, this work is listed as
a "glue ladle." Among Ming dynasty utensils was a kind of ladle that was used in
the scholar's studio for holding glue that was based on the shape of ancient bronze ones.
This piece, however, does not necessarily reflect this kind. In a wall painting from a
Southern Ch'i (479-501) tomb is a winged figure holding a similar object, and it is also
often seen in the Buddhist wall paintings of the T'ang dynasty (618-907) as a kind of
portable censer. Later generations, however, used such ancient objects for different
purposes, using it to hold glue or just for appreciation in the scholar's studio. |
