Page 474 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China

generally bowl-shaped, with a cover and a stand of of incense smoke. The lotuses, tortoises, and
lotus shape. Sometimes, smaller lotus blossoms on the encircling stems and foliage are all worked in
stems are shown emerging on either side of the repousse, with further chasing and gilding. A broad,
main censer. flat rim overhangs the sides of the vessel itself,
The present censer is of a standard Tang which is supported on five sturdy legs issuing out
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dynasty type but is one of the largest known — of the mouths of dragons; these legs are fastened
almost twice the size of a similar six-legged censer, to the body by means of rivets around the dragons'
dated 741, found packed with incense in the reli- manes. In the spaces between them hang knotted
quary deposit of the Qingshan Monastery at Lin- festoons, each framing what appears to be an
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tong near Xi'an, excavated in 1985- Its preeminent embroidered ball. Remaining space on the vessel's
position in the innermost chamber suggests that, sides is filled with incised wreaths of incense
like the Qingshan censer, it was probably used smoke, similar to those depicted issuing from the
during the ceremonies to enshrine the Buddha relic mouths of the tortoises on the lid. Thus, even
in its eight-fold set of nesting caskets. The lid is without the actual burning of sandalwood or other
crowned by a broad lotus bud, pierced to allow the incense materials, the censer continues to serve
fragrant smoke to escape. On the curved shoulders its original function.
of the lid are five lotus blossoms, each supporting The stand is in the form of a flat tray, to which
a tortoise, from whose mouth issue two wreaths the five legs and intermediate festoons have been

473 FAME N M O N A S T E R Y AT F U F E N C