7 - [INCENSE CULTURE] RARE GILT-BRONZE 'VINĀYAKA-GANESHA' LONG-HANDLED CENSER

[INCENSE CULTURE] RARE GILT-BRONZE 'VINĀYAKA-GANESHA' LONG-HANDLED CENSER 9TH-13TH CENTURY 九至十三世紀 銅鎏金蓮花形唐草紋行爐 帶毗那夜迦－象鼻天鎮飾the finely cast incense bowl in the form of a blossoming lotus with each petal decorated with tendrils in openwork within a beaded border, set on a petalled base and fitted with a handle reminiscent of a ruyi sceptre, the long strap handle angling down at the end to accommodate a kneeling elephant-head Vināyaka-Ganesha as weight ornament, the deity exquisitely cast in anjali mudra and the curling snout highly raised, the pierced cover surmounted with another Vināyaka-Ganeshaas finial 34cm wide; 1100g Private Taiwanese collection;Formerly in a private Japanese collection台灣私人收藏;日本私人舊藏 This extremely unusual censer is exceptional not only in its long-handled form, but also the Vināyaka-Ganesha weight ornament on the cover and the end of the handle.This type of long-handled censer is also known as a walking censer, magpie-tail censer or hand-held burner. The custom of offering incense to Buddhist deities using long-handled censers appears in Gandharan stone sculpture as early as the 2nd century. In China, it first appeared during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period and was commonly used in major Buddhist ceremonies as a Buddhist offering vessel. Its use originated from a Buddhist practice known as ‘incense procession’ (xingxiang), in which worshippers carried a censer and circumambulated around a Buddha image as part of a devotional ritual. As the censer was designed to be carried while walking, it became known as a xinglu, or walking censer.During the Tang dynasty, bronze casting incorporated and further developed techniques such as welding and openwork carving, giving rise to a wide variety of vessel forms. Early examples of this type traditionally featured a lion-shaped terminal, and were made using casting or forging techniques, sometimes in gilt bronze. Gilding was also applied to bronze vessels, enhancing their decorative refinement. The present example exemplifies the high level of craftsmanship achieved in the production of Buddhist ritual implements during this period. Long-handled censers were common during the Tang China, and then introduced to Japan. Soon after, Japanese bronze casters began producing long-handled censers modelled after the Tang-dynasty prototype.Censers of this type are frequently depicted in Dunhuang murals and silk paintings. One notable example appears in Barbarian Royalty Worshiping the Buddha, a silk painting in ink and colour attributed to Zhao Guangfu of the Song dynasty, in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, museum number: 1957.358. The painting depicts the story of foreign kings paying homage to the Buddha. The leading nobleman is shown carrying a long-handled censer with a lotus-shaped bowl, closely resembling the form of the present example.Compare arelated Tang dynasty gilt-bronzecenser in the British Museum,museum number: 1936,1118.183. Also see a Tang dynasty bronze handled censer in the Sakamoto Gorō collection and then sold at Sotheby’s New York, 13 September 2016, lot 14. Both examples decorated with a finely cast seated lion weight at the end of the handle. Also see a gilt bronze censer with closely comparable Tang-style foliage decoration in openwork on the lotus-petal bowl, dated to the Yuan dynasty, sold at Beijing Poly, 7th June 2016, lot 8397. Two further Japanese examples of gilt bronze censers with lion weight: one in the Tokyo National Museum, dated to the Nara period of 8th century, museum no: N-282; one further example dated to the 13th century was sold at Bonhams New York, 25 March 2010, lot 2127.The image of Vināyaka originated in ancient India in the 2nd century AD. Also known as Ganesha, he is the elephant-headed deity of wisdom and creation, the son of Shiva and the snow mountain goddess Pārvatī. Revered for his power to remove obstacles, he became widely worshipped. Introduced into China through Esoteric Buddhism during the Tang dynasty, Vināyaka was interpreted in Esoteric Buddhist tradition as the Deity of Obstacles and adopted into Buddhism as a Dharma protector. His image became widespread in Buddhist bronze sculpture in Tibet and Mongolia. As a guardian deity who protects the Buddhist Dharma, Vināyaka also appears in mural paintings. Surviving depictions can be found in the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang, including on the west wall of Cave 285, dating to the Western Wei dynasty, the east wall of Cave 244, dating to the Sui dynasty, and the north wall of the passageway in Cave 404.The image of Vināyaka can also be seen on the Tang dynasty gilt-bronze censer with an elephant-head finial, preserved in the Famen Temple Museum (inventory no. FD4:018), which was interred in the crypt in the fifteenth year of the Xiantong reign (874 AD). This gilt-bronze incense burner is a characteristic example of incense implements a