A Large Rare Mongolian Copper Alloy Incense Sphere
Mongolia, 19th century
diameter: 20.5 cm
This sphere, in two interlocking halves, features two large and finely executed dragons amid
cloud motifs all contained amid open-cut circular panels, and eight smaller dragons also
contained with circular panels amid floral and foliate open-cut work.
References: Free-standing incense burners with similar open-work, turquoise inlay and deity
plaques appear in Lipton, B., and Dorjee Ragnubs, N., Treasures of Tibetan Art: Collections
of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, Oxford University Press, 1996, p. 235 and
241. See also Clarke, J., ‘A group of Sino-Mongolian Metalwork in the Tibetan Style’,
Orientations, May 1992, for more information on Mongolian metalwork.
Inventory no.: 39
Mongolia, 19th century
diameter: 20.5 cm
This sphere, in two interlocking halves, features two large and finely executed dragons amid
cloud motifs all contained amid open-cut circular panels, and eight smaller dragons also
contained with circular panels amid floral and foliate open-cut work.
References: Free-standing incense burners with similar open-work, turquoise inlay and deity
plaques appear in Lipton, B., and Dorjee Ragnubs, N., Treasures of Tibetan Art: Collections
of the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, Oxford University Press, 1996, p. 235 and
241. See also Clarke, J., ‘A group of Sino-Mongolian Metalwork in the Tibetan Style’,
Orientations, May 1992, for more information on Mongolian metalwork.
Inventory no.: 39