Carved quartz incense burner, ‘Beasts,’ Han dynasty

Tripod censer, carved from a block of remarkably transparent quartz. The globular body rests on three sturdy zoomorphic legs, finely detailed with claws and scroll motifs. On the shoulders, it has two ring handles decorated with stylised masks. The domed lid is crowned by a mythical beast crouching in a round relief. The entire surface is meticulously worked in low relief with a dense and intricate pattern of leiwen and archaic volutes. It has natural inclusions and a patina consistent with its age. Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). or later.

Size: 16 x 11.5 cm

Total weight: 1370 g