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Chased Parcel-Gilt Silver Incense Burner & Cover
Tibet
19th century
height: 21.5cm, weight: 620g
This silver open-work incense burner and cover is designed to either sit on an altar or be suspended overhead. It sits on three elaborate zoomorphic feet and
has three eyelets about the top of the globular body for suspension.
The lid or cover is surmounted by a pierced flower bud finial, and decorated with a long-tailed phoenix and a Himalayan winged dragon amid scrolling
open-work foliage. Both the dragon and the phoenix have parcel-gilt highlights.
The base is almost spherical other than for a brief neck that is engraved with a repeated reverse swastika border. The body is finely worked with a chased
border or pseudo-Taoist and Tibetan motifs against scrolling foliage, and a large central open-work frieze that shows two winged dragons facing a gilded pile
of flaming jewels, and on the other side is an eight-spoked dharmachakra or golden wheel which is indeed in silver-gilt. The eight spokes represent the
branches of the eightfold noble path: realistic view, intention, speech, livelihood, action, effort, mindfulness and meditation.
The underside of the base is engraved with a double vajra or vishvavajra.
Inventory no.: 881
This Item is available - Ask about this item
Chased Parcel-Gilt Silver Incense Burner & Cover
Tibet
19th century
height: 21.5cm, weight: 620g
This silver open-work incense burner and cover is designed to either sit on an altar or be suspended overhead. It sits on three elaborate zoomorphic feet and
has three eyelets about the top of the globular body for suspension.
The lid or cover is surmounted by a pierced flower bud finial, and decorated with a long-tailed phoenix and a Himalayan winged dragon amid scrolling
open-work foliage. Both the dragon and the phoenix have parcel-gilt highlights.
The base is almost spherical other than for a brief neck that is engraved with a repeated reverse swastika border. The body is finely worked with a chased
border or pseudo-Taoist and Tibetan motifs against scrolling foliage, and a large central open-work frieze that shows two winged dragons facing a gilded pile
of flaming jewels, and on the other side is an eight-spoked dharmachakra or golden wheel which is indeed in silver-gilt. The eight spokes represent the
branches of the eightfold noble path: realistic view, intention, speech, livelihood, action, effort, mindfulness and meditation.
The underside of the base is engraved with a double vajra or vishvavajra.
Inventory no.: 881
This Item is available - Ask about this item
