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Incense burner: C.737-1991

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An image of Incense burner
An image of Incense burner
An image of Incense burner
Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Incense burner, formed as a figure group of a man with a dragon. Hard-paste porcelain with underglaze blue decoration. Figure of a thin, open-mouthed, bald immortal sitting cross-legged on rocks beside a grimacing dragon. His right arm is raised with clenched fist, his left hand holds the dragon's horn. He is scantily draped with a tunic clasped at one shoulder and painted with blue clouds. The fierce, finely moulded three-claw dragon, with teeth bared and scaly body is wrapped round the rocks. The white glaze stops short of the foot, leaving a blue/grey band. The body is hollow with three holes pierced in the rocks at the back. Separate oval base (C.738-1991) separately catalogued.

Notes

History note: H.S. Reitlinger (d.1950); the Reitlinger Trust, Maidenhead, from which transferred in 1991.

Legal notes

Bequeathed by H.S. Reitlinger, 1950; transferred from the Reitlinger Trust, 1991.

Measurements and weight

Height: 22.7 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1950) by Reitlinger, Henry Scipio

Dating

Edo Period (1615-1868)
19th Century, Late
Circa 1850 CE - 1880 CE

Note

Japanese, Hirado

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Incense Burner Diameter 11.0 cm Height 19.2 cm
Body
Decoration

Materials used in production

White glaze
Hard-paste porcelain

Techniques used in production

Glazing (coating)

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.737-1991
Primary reference Number: 21739
Old object number: JAPCER/872

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Wednesday 13 March 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Incense burner" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/21739 Accessed: 2025-12-07 12:44:07

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/21739 |title=Incense burner |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-07 12:44:07|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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<div class="text-center">
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        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa10/C_737_1991_281_29.jpg"
        alt="Incense burner"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Incense burner</figcaption>
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