China probably from Hunan province
Incense Burner (Xianglu)
Western Han dynasty, 206 BCE–9 CE
Gray earthenware with polychrome painting and openwork decoration
14.3 × 14.4 cm (5.6 × 5.7 in)
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● On view now — Gallery 133
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026
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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG
This incense burner has a stemmed cup and a domed, openwork cover pierced with geometric patterns. Its design is distinctive to ceramics from south-central China that were made during the Western Han dynasty (206BCE–9 CE). It was probably modeled on a bronze incense burner cast with a perforated lid for the release of fragrant smoke. Other common forms from the Han dynasty are in the case to the right.
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