Potala Palace: Incense Burner

CHINA, Tibet, Lhasa

This gilt silver incense burner is comprised of a base, body, lid, and canopy. The base consists of an inverted lotus, and the body is in the form of a flattened sphere surmounted by a short two-tier neck, followed by a two-tier gilded openwork lid and lotus bud. The body has a prominent gilded diamond shape with twin dragons inside. A gilded ring with a raised pattern appears where the body meets the neck. There are three ornate handles on the side of the body curving up toward to the neck. The burner is suspended from chains hanging down from a canopy to the handles. The lid features openwork scroll leaf and peony patterns through which the smoke is dispersed.