China, 1850-1949. Finely cast, the two censer of rectangular form supported on four bracket feet flanked by two S-shaped loop handles, below a separately cast upper section of similar form, surmounted by a flat cover reticulated with a floral-geometric design enclosed by a cash-coin border, the sides cast with a wan diaper. The set comprises a tamping plate, incense monogram with a reticulated Shou character, and an incense spoon and rake. (7)

Provenance: English trade.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, casting flaws, and traces of use. The bronze is covered overall in a fine, dark patina with few areas of verdigris.

Weight: 1,051 g
Dimensions: Length 19.3 cm

The base cast with an apocryphal six-character mark da Qing Qianlong nianzhi.

The art of incense burning (xiangdao) became very popular during the Song dynasty, when nobility began using imprints. Monograms like in the present lot were cast or carved from wood into auspicious symbols and used to seal the incense in a pattern. This was done by spooning the incense gently on top of the monogram which would then be removed, leaving the incense in the sealed pattern. The process of patterning the incense was seen as calming and meditative.

Burning the incense after patterning it in such a way also allowed the user to tell the time, and such sets are sometimes also referred to incense clocks. There are early records of incense clocks being used in China from 1073 AD, where a severe drought in the countryside caused many municipal clepsydrae to stop working. Recreationally, powdered incense clocks were mainly used in China as personalized and portable time-keeping devices for homes. Incense seals, sticks, and spirals were also used for religious time telling, keeping the time during festivals and important rituals.