Incense burner

This massive tripod incense burner is a rare example of Chinese rootwood carving. Known as “natural wood (tianran mu),” such objects sought to evoke a rustic lifestyle by accentuating the irregularities inherent in rootwood in preference to the regular surfaces of most manmade objects. Such “natural wood” furnishings were highly appreciated among the literati, who celebrated the notion of living in harmony with nature. Carved out of a single piece of rootwood. Its gnarled exterior preserves the knobbly texture of the root ball’s original contorted growth. But the vessel’s highly polished surface underscores its refinement and suggests that some of the irregularities may have been artfully enhanced to accentuate the sought after rustic appearance. The tripod’s domed cover and stand were both carved from rosewood in irregular shapes that harmonize with the vessel’s form. The knob on the cover, carved from boxwood, takes the shape of a magic fungus (lingzhi). Incised on the cover’s interior is a square seal that reads: “Hall of Bestowing Orchids (Yi Lan Tang),” likely the owner’s studio name.