Ribbed Tripod Incense Burner (Lian)

Place of OriginChina

DateTang Dynasty (618-907)

DimensionsH: 4 7/8 in.

MediumStoneware with green and yellow lead-silicate glazes

ClassificationCeramics

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1950.331

Not on View

DescriptionThis is a three-footed stoneware vessel, identified as a lian or incense burner. It has a cylindrical body with finely grooved, or ribbed, sides. This exterior, including the rim and the three cabriole-style supports, is covered in a green glaze. The interior of the vessel is coated in a contrasting soft yellow glaze.

Label TextA vibrant green glaze washes over the ribbed sides and three legs of this cylindrical vessel. This rich color stops at the rim, revealing a soft yellow glaze on the interior. Made during China's Tang Dynasty (618-907), an era famous for its colorful ceramics, this object's form is a conscious look back to the past.

Its shape, known as a lian, is based on ancient bronze ritual vessels that were thousands of years old even when this piece was new. While those ancient bronze lian were often used as containers for cosmetics, this durable stoneware version likely served as an incense burner, releasing fragrant smoke.