Cloisonne Tripod Censer

The 19th century luxurious Cloisonné tripod censer has no known artist and is labeled to be from 1644 to 1911. It is made from enamel on copper alloy with a dimension of 28cm in height. In a display with five objects, it was the most lavished in both form and colors. The ornamented pot can be associated with higher society or respected people because the material of copper and enamel are, unlike clay or bronzes, produced for specific groups of people with no mass production. Initially, the dominant light blue color didn’t look like a typical Chinese censer that I’ve seen before. However, like other censers we see in Chinese cultures today, this tripod censer would be seen as the centerpiece of an altar surrounded by vases and candlesticks. The museum’s display removed the tripod censer from its original context, which transforms an ordinary cultural object into a valued artistic artifact. The censer was placed in between other objects from the Qing dynasty with less decoration and simpler forms, emphasizing its uniqueness. Only one side of the object is clearly visible to the viewers, thus, it gives the assumption that both sides are symmetrical. The object’s scale, form and bulbous silhouette suggest a bowl with raised tripod legs, two handles and a lid. With a Chinese cultural background, it can easily be identified as a censer. The carved-out texture on the lid demonstrates how the …show more content…
The museum preserves the essence of the individual objects for the people in other generations to admire. The combination of floral motifs, the sky and the dragon on this 19th century censer allows the viewers to understand the relationship between the Chinese culture and the nature. From the materials, shapes and forms, viewers can apprehend a sense of hope for longevity and nobility from the original owners or creators of the