Boshanlu hill censer, 1st-2nd century
Unknown artist, Chinaexpand_more
Bronzeexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 2001.5.3a,b
Not on Viewexpand_more
A boshanlu, or literally, Bo Mountain censer, was a type of incense burner that celebrated the mountain wilderness. A typical boshanlu has a bowl-shaped body, with a lid shaped like a conical mountain and a supporting vertical stem that stands on a circular foot. On its lid, mountain peaks are often represented by overlapping triangular forms, populated by animals and humans. Perforations, sometimes hidden between the overlapping peaks, release the smoke from burning incense as if mysterious clouds were rising from the mountain.
This censer mountain features a monkey, tigers pursuing bears and dogs, and several men, one shown seated playing a qin, or zither, another playing the sheng, a reed instrument, and two riding horseback. These are Daoist practitioners who went into the mountains and lived in cave-shrines for the proper cultivation of personal immortality. Their depiction in the wilderness subverted earlier mountain imagery in which animals were often represented as a dominating force requiring reverence, and images of men showed them forcibly subduing animals.
Details
- Title
- Boshanlu hill censer
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2001.5.3a,b
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.