There is no conclusion yet on when the incense burner originated. Zhao Xihu's "Dongtian Qinglu Collection·Ancient Bells, Dings and Yi Utensils" states: "In ancient times, Xiao Aida used gods without burning incense, so there was no incense burner. Today's so-called incense burners are all It is made from the sacrificial vessels of the ancient ancestral temple. The Jue furnace is the ancient Jue furnace, the Suanni furnace is the ancient Chuzu bean, and the fragrant ball is the ancient Boshan furnace. It was used in the Imperial Palace of the Han Dynasty, and the production of incense burners began here. "
The Yue kiln brown glaze incense burner in the Eastern Han Dynasty has a vivid shape, simple and natural shape, and does not have a tray. This incense stick is composed of two parts, the upper and lower parts, which can be opened freely. The upper part is composed of three layers of budding lotus petals. Each row of lotus has eleven petals, which are abstracted into a triangle shape. Each petal is engraved with various sizes. The flower stems are very clear. The top of the cover is decorated with an exquisite bird, standing gracefully and looking into the distance. The lower part is a cylindrical hollow pillar.
The Yue kiln celadon censer in the Jin Dynasty is very close to the traditional incense burner. It is also three-legged, but it has an elegant handle with swirling work on it. The exquisite workmanship makes people endlessly daydream. The Hongzhou kiln incense burner from the Northern and Southern Dynasties has a bluish-yellow glaze and has five legs. It is thick and strong and stands firmly on the tray, intact.
Three-color incense burners of the Tang Dynasty are relatively rare. The exposed body is pink, with a combination of yellow, green and brown paintings. The glaze flows down naturally, and the five-clawed tiger feet look calm and vigorous.
Emperor Zhao, who was born into a noble family in the Song Dynasty, had a very high level of cultural literacy. He liked retro and valued old ritual vessels. The three-legged tripod-style incense burner is a product of the Northern Song Dynasty. Due to the large number of bronzes, jade and pottery unearthed in the pre-Qin period, in the seventh year of Yuanyou (1092 AD), Lu Dalin, the full-time cultural relics keeper of the palace, compiled the "Archaeological Map" and collected the bronzes. 210 pieces, 13 pieces of jade. From then on, cultural relic identification and academic research were integrated, which was not available before the Song Dynasty. It set a precedent for later cultural relic research and laid the foundation for the comprehensive imitation of pre-Qin ritual vessels by porcelain.
Incense burners appeared in the inner courts of the Song emperors, while some small incense burners became the playthings of literati. They had high artistic appreciation value and were imitated by later generations. The Yaozhou kiln incense burner of the Song Dynasty was developed under the influence of the Yue kiln. It has a wider lip and a green and natural glaze color. It has the reputation of being "as skillful as gold and as refined as jade". The plum green incense burner in the Longquan study room of the Southern Song Dynasty is exquisite and elegant, standing on three legs. The body of the burner has three lines and the soles are brown.
The incense burners of the Yuan Dynasty did not break away from the style of the Song Dynasty, with a wide range of quantities and varieties, mainly small and medium-sized incense burners. Hutian kiln blue and white glaze double-eared three-legged incense burner, with an open mouth and a straight neck, a flat and plump belly, a pair of rectangular erect ears on both sides of the shoulders, and an obvious embossed animal face pattern on the base of the foot. The whole body is covered with green and white glaze, and the body is hard. It is greasy white, and the glaze color is moist and opaque.
Most of the porcelain incense burners in the Ming Dynasty were mainly blue and white porcelain. In the Jiajing blue and white incense burner in the Ming Dynasty, colorful multicolored porcelain also appeared. Emperor Xuande of the Ming Dynasty himself was a very talented artist and was very sensitive to color. Five-color and doucai porcelain achieved unprecedented development.
Ming Dynasty Wanli colorful figure three-legged incense burner: The production of Wanli colorful ware reached its peak period. It is characterized by its thick carcass and milky white glaze. The three consecration patterns have excellent decorative effect. The old man is wearing a coat with colors of magenta, light yellow and grass green respectively. His expression is calm and his eyebrows are elegant. He is either immersed in reading, or bowing his head in meditation, or sitting at his desk and waving. There is a "Da Ming Wanli Year System" mark on the neck.
After the rulers of the Qing Dynasty took over the Central Plains, they governed the world with "filial piety". During the Kangxi period, sacrificial practices became prevalent, and the Qianlong period became a period of unprecedented prosperity for social development. A generation of famous masters and craftsmen in Jingdezhen pushed porcelain production to the peak of history with their intelligence. The double-eared three-legged stove with bean green glaze from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty has fine porcelain, thick glaze color, full glaze inside and outside, smooth and smooth, like fat and jade, and the two ears are naturally connected, elegance without losing elegance. There is a celadon glaze on the bottom "Made in the Qianlong Year of the Qing Dynasty".
The imperial incense burner of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty was made of jade and was very thin. If you shine a flashlight on the inside, you can see the light source on the outside.
Collapse and edit this paragraph style
There are many styles of incense burners, including large, small, square, round, long, and short; the materials are also copper, iron, tin, stone, and ceramics. The difference is to show the difference in worth; the different patterns and characters are engraved to indicate different uses. Those who have ancestral tablets in their homes will place an incense burner squarely on the table. If Buddhists offer Buddha statues at home, they don't forget to put an incense burner; Taoists also use incense burners to worship gods and burn incense. There are many types of incense burners, with different shapes, placed in different locations and burning different incense. For example, the large incense burner in the center of the main hall or outside the door is mostly made of copper, iron and other metals or carved from stone. The name of the temple is engraved on the furnace body for believers to insert incense sticks. The incense burners on the altar table in the main hall are made of copper, stone or porcelain and are used to burn sandalwood. The main hall of a Buddhist temple has a rectangular stove with an exquisite small incense burner for burning sandalwood. An embroidered stove surround hangs in front of the plate. It is very solemn and beautiful and is used exclusively by the abbot and monks to burn incense. After the Buddhist services in the main hall are completed, if you want to When worshiping in other side halls, the waiter will hold the stove and go forward, and the monk will then go to the side hall to offer incense. The reclining incense burner is more suitable for use in Buddhist halls in the homes of lay believers. It is also available in copper and porcelain. Cut off a bamboo branch under the incense stick and burn it flatly in the reclining incense burner to prevent the ashes from flying around and staining the altar table. A small wooden incense burner carved in the shape of a lotus with a long handle. Only one stick of incense can be inserted. It is held in the hands of the presiding monk and the host during Buddhist rituals. It is called a hand burner.
There are also box-like incense burners designed for burning incense powder. Most of them are made of copper and are divided into three layers. The lower layer holds model utensils for burning incense. The middle layer holds powdered incense, and the upper layer can burn incense. The models are mostly in seal script with "Shou" or " The word "hi" is cast into a continuous loop-shaped pattern, about 0.40 cm thick; put the incense powder on the model to make a beautiful pattern; light it on the stove, cover the furnace lid and let it burn sequentially, very elegant This kind of incense burner is rarely used to worship Buddha or ancestors, but is mostly used to burn incense in Shuqi.
Cense burners have a long history in Chinese society. They were originally used only for burning incense. Later, they were collected by people who love antiquities and have become antiques and works of art for people to appreciate. Therefore, the long-standing copper incense burners with precious materials and exquisite carvings are very valuable and have lost their meaning of burning incense as offerings.
Collapse edit this paragraph varieties
Collapse Ming Wanli blue and white milk-foot stove
The Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty was a period of decline of the Ming Dynasty, with dark and corrupt politics and extravagant nobles. Years of natural disasters and wars have caused the people to suffer from hunger and cold, and social conflicts have intensified unprecedentedly. Emperor Wanli reigned for 47 years and was the longest reigning emperor in the Ming Dynasty. He did not hesitate to requisition a large amount of manpower and material resources to build Dingling Tomb for himself. The quality of porcelain during this period of the Ming Dynasty also deteriorated due to the incompetence of the government.
This Ming Dynasty Wanli blue and white milk-foot stove came from the Jingdezhen kiln and is a typical representative of the craftsmanship of that era. It is 22 centimeters in diameter and 9 centimeters high. It has a blue and white parrot and peony pattern, with lush branches and leaves. The picture is exquisitely conceived and the lines are smooth.
In daily life, parrots are a kind of auspicious bird that everyone loves. They have bright feathers, graceful body, and intelligence. They can imitate human speech after being domesticated. Every household keeps this bird as a pet. It is a symbol and expression of status, wealth and cultural quality. The parrot in the picture has bright eyes, tight lips, and spreads its wings to fly to the place it longs for. Here, the parrot plays the finishing touch. The parrot spreading its wings is combined with the rich peony in the spring breeze. It moves and is still. The combination of the two creates a very strong three-dimensional effect. Therefore, the whole picture is vivid, natural, fresh and refined, showing Passionate and unrestrained humanistic feelings.
The three peonies painted on the stove are in full bloom in the wind, and two budding stamens are shyly hidden aside. Peony is known as the "king of flowers" and "the beauty of the country and the fragrance of heaven". It is famous all over the world for its large, colorful and colorful flowers. Chinese people have a tradition of liking peonies. Peonies have been cultivated in my country for more than 1,500 years. As the saying goes: "You can see peonies during the three dynasties of Guyu." Graceful and luxurious peonies are blooming everywhere in the Central Plains. Pi Rixiu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, said in his "Peony": "After all the red leaves have faded, the fragrance begins to bloom, and the beautiful name is called the King of Flowers. It is praised for its unparalleled beauty in the world and the independent and best fragrance in the world." The most interesting thing is that there is a small bee filling the gap between the peony stamens and leaves, which adds a bit of movement to the picture.
Whether it is a parrot or a peony, all compositions are drawn with single lines. These lines are as straight and straight as steel wires, powerful and powerful, which makes people amazed. The inner tube of the furnace is made of green and white glaze, and the glaze is of good color. The upper and lower sections have joint gaps, which is a common craft feature of bottles, stoves and other porcelain made in the Ming Dynasty. The interface of this furnace is exquisitely and flatly repaired, and the interface is completely covered with glaze. Only when you gently touch it with your hand can you feel the slightly uneven interface. If you look carefully, you will find that there are some small black spots in the furnace, scattered sporadically on the bottom of the furnace. This is commonly known as kiln stick, which is left by the falling plant ash when the porcelain is fired. Nowadays, kiln glue has become one of the secrets to identify the authenticity of porcelain. The porcelain clay used in the exposed areas of the soles of the feet is typical milky white kaolin clay. The three breasts of the furnace are extremely plump and have deep friction marks. They should be ritual vessels used for worship in temples or wealthy families. They are exquisite products handed down from generation to generation.
Another feature of this incense burner is that the blue and white glaze has a relatively pure color. From the end of the Ming Dynasty to the Jiajing year, green materials were transported back from the Western Regions, and then used as the color of blue and white with Shi Ziqing from Jiangxi. If the proportion of green material is slightly higher, the blue and white color will be bright and deep; if too much stone green material is used, the color will be gray-blue. Since Huiqing materials are expensive, from the end of Wanli to the Tianqi year, Shi Ziqing was often used to depict patterns. The blue and white on this furnace is bright and fresh in color, and it should be a utensil from the early to mid-year period of Wanli.
New imitation porcelain is too bright and looks "fake" at first glance. In order to imitate something "real", manufacturers often use a polishing method, that is, using potatoes or animal skins to rub them continuously until a matte effect is achieved. Unfortunately, this practice often leaves many traces of friction on the surface of the porcelain. This incense burner is different. When it was fired, the heat was high and even, and the glaze is still pleasing to the eye. After hundreds of years of tempering by nature, it is even more shining, and it is naturally different from the new imitations. .
Folding Boshan incense burner from the Northern and Southern Dynasties
The Boshan incense burner from the Northern and Southern Dynasties is small and exquisite, with a novel shape that makes people put it down. I have been collecting porcelain for nearly 20 years, and this is the first time I have met him, which shows how precious it is.
Boshan Incense Burner, also known as Boshan Incense Burner, is a commonly used incense burner in the Western Han Dynasty. It can be used to smoke clothes and quilts to deodorize and avoid filth. The Boshan incense burner from the Northern and Southern Dynasties in the picture is 13 cm high and 11 cm in diameter. It has two layers, which can be opened and closed naturally. The workmanship of the upper part is fine and beautiful, with thread-like carvings, like burning torches, full of enthusiasm; and like a fairy mountain with overlapping peaks. From bottom to top, the entire mountain range is well-proportioned. With the central spire, there are exactly 13. This It is an auspicious number in our traditional culture.
There are four small holes on the Boshan incense burner. When the incense is burned in the belly of the burner, the smoke will flow out from the hollow "mountain", and the fairy spirit will linger, giving people the feeling of being in a fairyland. The lower part is a cup-shaped holder with a flat bottom. The glaze is beige glaze. No makeup clay is applied. Except for a slightly thick glaze in some areas, the glaze is applied evenly and there are many small flakes on the glaze surface. The lid and the furnace fit together and are integrated.
Boshan incense burners were popular in bronzes and ceramics during the Han and Jin dynasties. The furnace body is in the shape of a bean in bronze, with a cover. The cover is high and pointed, hollowed out, in the shape of a mountain, with overlapping mountain shapes. There are birds and animals carved in the middle, which symbolizes the legendary fairy mountain on the sea - Boshan, hence its name. It was widely rumored in the Han Dynasty that there were three fairy mountains on the sea: Penglai, Boshan and Yingzhou. According to "Miscellaneous Records of Two Capitals", Ding Xu, a craftsman from Chang'an, was good at making Boshan incense burners. He was able to overlap and carve strange birds and monsters to decorate the surface of the incense burner. The craftsmanship of Boshan incense burners far surpassed the five-legged or three-legged incense burners that appeared later. The Northern Song Dynasty archaeologist Lu Dalin's "Archaeological Map" records: "The incense burner is like Boshan in the sea, and the soup is stored in the lower plate to moisten the air and steam the fragrance, so as to resemble the four rings of the sea."
The Boshan burner appeared in the Western Han Dynasty. It is related to the raw materials for burning incense and people's lifestyle. Before the Western Han Dynasty, people used Maoxiang, that is, placing incense or Hucao in a bean-type incense burner and lighting it directly. Although the aroma is fragrant, the smoke is very strong. During the reign of Emperor Wu, dipterocarps and styrax from the South China Sea were introduced to China, and the spices were made into fragrant balls or cakes, placed under a charcoal fire, and the resinous spices were slowly ignited with the high temperature of the charcoal fire, creating a rich fragrance and pyrotechnic smoke. It is not big, so there are Boshan furnaces with different shapes and ingenious workmanship. The poem "Yong Boshan Furnace" of the Six Dynasties said: "The prince of Qin was engraved on the top, riding a crane and riding the purple smoke". The poem "Yang Rebel" by Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty said: "The agarwood fire in the Boshan Furnace, the double smoke and the purple clouds." It is the charming artistic conception of the incense swirling in the Boshan stove.
During the Han Dynasty, Boshan stoves were already popular in the lives of the palace and nobles. The Cuojin Boshan furnace unearthed from the tomb of Liu Sheng, King Jing of Zhongshan during the Han Dynasty in Hebei Province in 1968 is a testament to this. Its shape and craftsmanship have reached their peak. In addition to Boshan incense burners, open five-legged and three-legged porcelain incense burners also appeared in celadon or white porcelain during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.
Folding Northern Song Dynasty pottery lotus incense burner
This gray pottery lotus incense burner is 13 cm high and 14 cm in diameter. It looks grand, has a unique shape, and is light in hand. , very rare. In order to write the book "In Search of Famous Chinese Kilns", I visited ancient kiln sites in various places, but I could not make a judgment on the provenance of this incense burner. According to a friend, he bought it from the border between Fujian and Jiangxi. Judging from the shape and style of the base of the utensils, they should be from the mid-Northern Song Dynasty. However, porcelain production was already popular in the Central Plains at that time. The "Qin Bricks and Han Tiles" pottery era has become a relic of history. Most places no longer produce pottery. What you see in front of you is a real earthenware incense burner, which makes people have to think again.
The lotus petals point upward and naturally close slightly, looking very solemn. The lotus petal furnace body has as many as five layers, which are well-proportioned and connected with a three-layer platform underneath. It is well-proportioned, calm and elegant. It can be seen from the peeling off of the gray pottery glaze that the fetal bones are orange-red pottery, and the firing temperature is around 850°C. Judging from the lotus-shaped incense burner, it is closely related to Chinese Buddhist culture and sacrificial activities. Since Buddhism entered China in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the lotus has formed a close relationship with Buddhism and has become a symbol and sacred flower of the Buddhist country.
The seated statue of Buddha Sakyamuni is commonly seen in temples. He wears a shoulder-length coat, holds a Dharma seal, and sits on a lotus platform in lotus position. Avalokitesvara is famous all over the world for its great kindness and compassion. Avalokitesvara is a free translation of Sanskrit. Legend has it that in the Tang Dynasty, to avoid the name taboo of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, the word "世" was omitted and was shortened to Avalokitesvara. She was dressed in white, sitting on a white lotus, holding a pure white lotus in one hand. The vase holds a white lotus in one hand, which seems to show the pure Bodhisattva heart of Guanshiyin. It strives to guide believers to escape from the world, help the world to eliminate disasters, and reach the pure land where lotus flowers bloom. The Lotus Sutra introduces in detail the merits of Guanyin Bodhisattva and various deeds in rescuing disasters. She can respond to the situation in various incarnations to save suffering, so there are various names and images of Guanyin, such as White Guanyin, Send-off Guanyin, Shuiyue Avalokitesvara, Avalokitesvara with Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes, etc.
When people read Buddhist scriptures, they often see that the Buddhist kingdom is called the "Lotus Realm", the temple is called the "Lotus House", the monk's cassock is called the "Lotus Clothing", and the Buddhist robe is called the "Lotus Realm". The mudra used by monks to perform the Dharma is called "Lotus Palms Together", and even many of the "rosary beads" used by monks are made of lotus seeds.
Lotus, according to paleobotanist research on fossils, plants of the genus Lotus were distributed in many water areas in the northern hemisphere 135 million years ago. Chinese literati also attach great importance to lotus. Compared with plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum, etc., lotus has richer and more complex cultural connotations. The lotus has special significance in four aspects: fertility worship, Confucian practical utility, Buddhist nature and practice, and Neo-Confucian personality cultivation. There is a poem in "Nineteen Ancient Poems": "Going across the river to pick hibiscus, there are many fragrant grasses in the orchids. Who do you want to leave behind? What you are thinking about is far away." "Yuefu Folk Songs of the Southern Dynasties" says: "Collecting lotus in Nantang in autumn, lotus flowers Overhead. Lower your head to play with lotus seeds, the lotus seeds are as green as water. "The artistic conception of these poems reflects real life and is endlessly memorable." People can see the beauty of the lotus and appreciate the beautiful scenery of "red clothes and green fans reflecting the clear waves".
The pottery lotus incense burner shows that its cultural connotation is extremely rich. Among the porcelains of the Northern Song Dynasty that dominated the world, this pottery lotus incense burner can be said to be unique.
Large folding Ming Dynasty lacquerware incense burner
The incense burner is a tripod-shaped utensil in ancient times. Most of the incense burners in temples in the old days were made of copper and iron. Some were smaller incense burners. It is made of jade, stone, pottery, porcelain, wood, copper, etc. It is placed on several tables and is suitable for both practicality and appreciation. A covered incense burner can be built with spices. After it is lit, the incense smoke rises from the hole in the cover and fills the air, gathering and dispersing at times, giving people unlimited reverie.
This large-scale lacquerware incense burner from the Ming Dynasty is 157cm high and 60cm in diameter. It consists of three parts: the bottom foot with mud support, the belly furnace body and the head dragon and horse furnace cover. The overall shape imitates the bronze tripod of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the furnace body imitates the three-legged round tripod, and the furnace feet imitates the four-legged square tripod, integrating the softness of the round tripod and the strength of the square tripod. The dragon and horse on the furnace cover have a dragon head and flying wings on its body. The joint between the belly and feet of the furnace is a divine turtle, and the feet of the furnace are an elephant's trunk. Looking at the entire treasure furnace, the appearance is concise, the format is grand, simple but not simple, clumsy but not crude, ethereal but not empty. The face of the relief turtle is made of gold, with exquisite and simple details. The auspicious animals are vivid and dynamic. The dragon and horse on the stove cover, with their heads high and roaring, ready to go, are full of strength and movement. The spirit of spirituality permeates the whole furnace, especially the furnace body, which is painted with black paint and cinnabar background with gold. The paint surface is as clean as new. The painting technique is very particular, the color is calm and shiny, and the coating is thick and lustrous.
The back of the dragon and horse stepping on the water ripples on the furnace cover has a strange pattern of dots and lines, and the turtle on the waist of the furnace is exactly what "The Book of Changes·Xici" said: "The river produces pictures, and Luo produces books." , the meaning of "sages follow it". Quoted by Kong Yingda, "The Book of Shang Shu: Holding the River" states that "Fuxi's family has the world, and the dragon and horse carry the picture out of the river." "Shang Shu·Hong Fan": "Heaven gave Yu, and Hong Fan Jiuchou" - one of the legendary three emperors Fuxi drew the Eight Diagrams based on the graphics on the backs of dragons and horses leaping out of the Meng River, while Yu created the "Nine Categories of Regular Ways" based on the "wen" on the backs of turtles, which benefited the people. The floor-standing lacquerware incense burner was an important ritual vessel placed indoors in temples, ancestral halls, and palaces in the Ming Dynasty. When major sacrificial events were held, it stood solemnly in a prominent position, with wisps of green smoke coming from the open mouths of the dragons and horses on the furnace lid. Slowly exhaled, the smoke filled the air, mysterious and solemn... Things changed and the stars moved several autumns, and the vicissitudes of life changed dramatically. There may still be a few temples in the Ming Dynasty, but the large ritual vessels such as lacquerware incense burners in the old temples have There is not much left.
Folding Song Dynasty Jiexiu kiln incense burner
The Shanxi Jiexiu kiln incense burner in the Song Dynasty has a unique shape, even glaze, white with yellow, bright color, and densely packed small flakes on the glaze. , exquisite workmanship and elegant style, which are relatively rare in the development of ancient Chinese incense burners. In the past, some people regarded this furnace as a lamp, but the Shaanxi Yaozhou Kiln Museum displays it as an incense burner. Some people think that this incense burner can date back to the Tang and Five Dynasties, but I think there is still room for dating. After all, the peak period of Jiexiu kiln firing was in the Song Dynasty.
This incense burner is 10.5 centimeters high and 11 centimeters in diameter on the surface. The rim of the incense burner has a thick lip, which naturally droops to form a small slope. The width of the thick lip is 3 centimeters, which looks very natural and harmonious. The heart of the furnace is round in shape, about 6 centimeters deep, and the tire is exposed inside, clearly leaving traces of the craftsmen's manual drawing of the blank at that time. The base is open with a bell mouth and is not glazed, exposing the gray-white fetal bones. Three supporting nails used in firing are still left on the sole of the foot. The entire utensil is divided into three layers, from small to large, very neatly. Although the incense burner is not large, it conforms to the Song people's principle of "small things make big things". It looks noble and full of ancient charm, and it is pleasing to the eyes and ears to hold it in your hands.
The appearance of this incense burner is indeed very similar to the pottery utensils of the Neolithic Age or the Pre-Qin Period, and is also similar to the bronze utensils of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Therefore, we have reason to say that it has certain similarities with pottery utensils and bronze utensils. relationship.
Pottery beans were popular from the Neolithic Age to the Han Dynasty, and their shapes were mostly shallow plates, high ring feet, shallow bowl shapes, trumpet shapes, hollow shapes, etc. This is a characteristic of the Majiabang culture. The Majiabang Culture dates back about 6,000 years and is a typical culture of the matrilineal period in the Taihu Lake Basin. The shape of beans has always maintained its basic shape, starting from pottery beans to bronze beans, and it has always been an important member of the combination of sacrificial ritual vessels. In the composition of the word "ritual", "dou" is also the protagonist, which is fully This shows the importance of the bean container in the hearts of the ancestors. According to research, pottery beans are mainly used to hold "vegetables". In ancient times, pottery bowls were tableware for personal use, similar to modern rice bowl utensils. The shape of the pottery beans is shallow and small. Unlike the "rice" bowl, it can only hold a small amount of "non-staple food". It is probably the predecessor of the porcelain plate. There are differences in staple and non-staple food. This is a lifestyle derived from rice farming society and one of the traditional characteristics of Eastern food culture. The tall and stable pottery beans, when used, can not only highlight the visual effect of the "dishes" in the bean container, but are also consistent with the ancient people's lifestyle of sitting on the floor, making it convenient to pick up the "dishes", which shows the ingenuity of the ancients.
When I was writing the book "In Search of Famous Chinese Kilns", I visited the Jiexiu Kiln, which is located in Hongshan Town, Jinzhong. It was accidentally discovered in 1957 during farmland water conservancy projects. Experts believe that the white porcelain firing level, firing scale, and historical influence of Jiexiu kiln are slightly inferior to those of Ding kiln, but the whiteness of the wares fired by it is higher, scientifically tested at 78.3°C, and the texture of the white porcelain is delicate, translucent and hard, and the white porcelain fired by Jiexiu kiln is The knocking sound is crisp and clear, and the firing temperature should be around 1300°C, which is almost comparable to modern white porcelain. It has the style of "Xiaojiabiyu".
The way to burn bowls, plates, lamps and other utensils is to use pins to burn. There are usually three small pins on the feet of the utensils. When burning, the tips of the pins are facing down, in order. After being stacked and fired out of the kiln, three small burn marks will be left on the inside of bowls, plates, lamps and other utensils. This burn method is unique to Jiexiu kilns, and is what I regard this incense burner as. The reason for the Jiexiu kiln incense burner.
Folding blue and white seawater pattern incense burner
Blue and white seawater pattern incense burner, Ming Dynasty Yongle, height 55.5cm, diameter 37.3cm, foot span 38cm.
The furnace has a wide mouth, a short neck, and a bulging belly. It is supported by three elephant legs and two ears facing the sky on its shoulders. White glaze is applied inside. The entire outer wall is painted with sea water and river cliff patterns.
This vessel is similar in shape to the bronze stove of the Yongle Year of the Ming Dynasty collected in the Qinghai Provincial Museum. Its shape is huge, the blue and white colors are rich and lustrous, the halo is obvious, and the condensed black spots are densely distributed in the decoration. The decoration symbolizes the eternal stability of the country. The ability to produce such bold and beautifully decorated porcelain reflects the superb porcelain making skills of Jingdezhen kiln workers at that time.
The seawater patterns on porcelain from the Yongle and Xuande periods of the Ming Dynasty usually include undulating and overlapping waves and surging spray, and their decorative nature is much stronger than that of the Yuan Dynasty.
Collapse and edit this section Culture
The history of Chinese incense burner culture can be traced back to the "ding" in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Bronze tripods in ancient China were used for cooking meat, offering sacrifices, etc. The ancestors spent all their money to pray to the sky, asking the gods and ancestors to protect the safety of their tribes and countries, but this is still different from the incense burners seen today.
"The sun shines on the incense burner and produces purple smoke." "Looking at the Lushan Waterfall" by Li Bai, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, has been passed down through the ages. The work describes the first sun shining on the peak of the Lushan Incense Burner, the purple smoke, the waterfall hanging high, and the rapid flow. It shows the atmosphere of the prosperous Tang Dynasty and people's preference for incense burners. In people's living habits, the greatest function of the incense burner is to serve as a ritual vessel for worshiping Buddha or ancestors. In fact, the incense burner is also a favorite thing of literati. It is placed in the hall or on the desk in the study. When reading, a stick of fragrance is lit, and the wonderful artistic conception of "reading at night with fragrance in red sleeves" is created. The spiritual incense burner gives people more spirituality in life. It travels through the time tunnel, chasing and appreciating the profound history and culture.
After Indian Buddhism was introduced to China, it interacted with the local culture, gradually changed its appearance, and integrated into the traditional Chinese culture. The trinity of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism formed the mainstream of Chinese culture. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, people used Lao and Zhuang to explain Buddhism. After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Buddhism and metaphysics tended to converge, which was deeply appreciated by scholar-bureaucrats. Until the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism's independent status and its deep-rooted spiritual and cultural influence were at its peak, especially when Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, traveled east to China, and this was the beginning of Chinese Zen Buddhism. It has become a common practice to build Buddhist temples in various places, and incense burners as sacrificial vessels have been widely used.