Editing Censer

{{short description|Vessel for burning incense or perfume}}
{{distinguish|Censor (disambiguation){{!}}Censor|Censure|Senser|Sensor}}
[[File:Botafumeiro.JPG|thumb|Catholic [[thurible]] or chain censer, designed for swinging]]
[[File:Censer LACMA M.2011.157.2a-b (3 of 5).jpg|thumb|Censer from Tibet, late 19th century, silver]]

A '''censer''', '''incense burner''', '''perfume burner''' or '''pastille burner''' is a vessel made for burning [[incense]] or perfume in some solid form. They vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction, and have been in use since ancient times throughout the world. They may consist of simple [[earthenware]] bowls or [[fire pot]]s to intricately carved [[silver]] or [[gold]] vessels, small table top objects a few centimetres tall to as many as several metres high. Many designs use [[openwork]] to allow a flow of air. In many cultures, burning [[incense]] has [[spirituality|spiritual]] and [[religious]] connotations, and this influences the design and decoration of the censer.

Often, especially in Western contexts, the term "censer" is used for pieces made for religious use, especially those on chains that are swung through the air to spread the incense smoke widely, while the term "perfume burner" is used for objects made for secular use.  The original meaning of [[pastille]] was a small compressed mixture of aromatic plant material and charcoal that was lit to release the odour, and pastille-burners were designed for this, for use in the home. Pastilles were made at home until their heyday in the early 19th century, and the burners are often made in ceramic.<ref>[https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/pastille-burners-regency-glade/ The Regency Redingote], October, 2013</ref>

Some types could also be used as [[pomander]]s, where the perfume diffuses slowly by evaporation rather than burning.<ref>Piotrovsky M.B. and Rogers, J.M. (eds), ''Heaven on Earth: Art from Islamic Lands'', p. 87, 2004, Prestel, {{ISBN|3791330551}}</ref>

==Use==
[[File:Silver censer (15th c., Kremlin museum) 01 by shakko.jpg|thumb|Censer in form of a one-domed cubic [[Russian architecture|Russian]] church, late 15th-early 16th century, silver, total height: 27.5 cm, width: 10.5 cm, the [[Moscow Kremlin Museums]] ([[Moscow]], Russia)]]
For direct-burning incense, pieces of the incense are burned by placing them directly on top of a heat source or on a hot metal plate in a censer or [[thurible]].<ref name=CI>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07716a.htm|title=Catholic Encyclopedia|author=P. Morrisroe. Transcribed by Kevin Cawley.}}</ref>

Indirect-burning incense, also called "non-combustible incense",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scents-of-earth.com/makyourownna.html|title=Scents of earth|publisher=www.scents-of-earth.com}}</ref> is a combination of aromatic ingredients that are not prepared in any particular way or encouraged into any particular form, leaving it mostly unsuitable for direct combustion. The use of this class of incense requires a separate heat source since it does not generally kindle a fire capable of burning itself and may not ignite at all under normal conditions. This incense can vary in the duration of its burning with the texture of the material. Finer ingredients tend to burn more rapidly, while coarsely ground or whole chunks may be consumed very gradually as they have less total surface area. The heat is traditionally provided by [[charcoal]] or glowing embers.

For home use of granulated incense, small, concave charcoal briquettes are sold. One lights the corner of the briquette on fire, then places it in the censer and extinguishes the flame. After the glowing sparks traverse the entire briquette, it is ready to have incense placed on it.

For direct-burning incense, the tip or end of the incense is ignited with a flame or other heat source until the incense begins to turn into ash at the burning end. Flames on the incense are then fanned or blown out, with the incense continuing to burn without a flame on its own.

Censers made for stick incense are also available; these are simply a long, thin plate of wood, metal, or ceramic, bent up and perforated at one end to hold the incense. They serve to catch the ash of the burning incense stick.

In Taoist and Buddhist temples, the inner spaces are scented with thick coiled incense, which are either hung from the ceiling or on special stands. Worshipers at the temples light and burn sticks of incense. Individual sticks of incense are then vertically placed into individual censers.

==Chinese use==
{{Main|Tiangong censer}}
[[File:Qilin-shaped incense burner 1 CAC.JPG|thumb|A [[Qing dynasty]] [[qilin]]-shaped incense burner]]
[[File:Tian Gong Lu of Yuanbao Temple 01.jpg|thumb|200x200px|A [[Tiangong censer]] to worship the [[Jade Emperor]]]]
[[File:Japanese - Incense Burner ("Koro") - Walters 49466.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Late 17th century Koro, [[Kakiemon|Kakiemon ware]], [[Walters Art Museum]] ]]

The earliest vessels identified as censers date to the mid-fifth to late fourth centuries BCE during the [[Warring States period]]. The modern [[Chinese (language)|Chinese]] term for "censer," ''xianglu'' ([[Wikt:香|香]]爐, "incense burner"), is a [[compound (linguistics)|compound]] of ''xiang'' ("incense, aromatics") and ''lu'' ([[Wikt:爐|爐]], "brazier; stove; furnace"). Another common term is ''xunlu'' ([[Wikt:熏|熏]]爐, "a brazier for fumigating and perfuming"). Early Chinese censer designs, often crafted as a round, single-footed stemmed basin, are believed to have derived from earlier [[Chinese ritual bronzes|ritual bronzes]], such as the ''dou'' 豆 sacrificial chalice.

Among the most celebrated early incense burner designs is the [[hill censer]] (''boshanlu'' 博山爐), a form that became popular during the reign of [[Emperor Wu of Han]] (r. 141–87 BCE). Some scholars believe hill censers depict a [[Sacred Mountains of China|sacred mountain]], such as [[Kunlun Mountains|Mount Kunlun]] or [[Mount Penglai]]. These elaborate vessels were designed with apertures that made rising incense smoke appear like clouds or mist swirling around a mountain peak.<ref>Erickson, Susan N. (1992). [https://www.jstor.org/pss/20062588 "Boshanlu: Mountain Censers of the Western Han Period: A Typological and Iconological Analysis"], ''Archives of Asian Art'' 45:6-28.</ref> The Han dynasty scholar [[Liu Xiang (scholar)|Liu Xiang]] (77–6 BCE) composed an inscription describing a hill censer:
<blockquote>''I value this perfect utensil, lofty and steep as a mountain! Its top is like [[Mount Hua|Hua Shan]] in yet its foot is a bronze plate. It contains rare perfumes, red flames and green smoke; densely ornamented are its sides, and its summit joins azure heaven. A myriad animals are depicted on it. Ah, from it sides I can see ever further than Li Lou'' [who had legendary eyesight].<ref>Needham, Joseph and Lu Gwei-Djen (1974). [https://books.google.com/books?id=TTHGp0euKmoC ''Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology; Part 2, Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Magisteries of Gold and Immortality'']. Cambridge University Press. p. 133.</ref></blockquote>

Another popular design was the small "scenting globe" (''xiangqiu'' 香球), a device similar to a [[pomander]], but used for burning incense. The famed inventor and craftsmen, [[Ding Huan]] (1st c. BCE), is believed to have made these with [[Gimbal|gimbal supports]] so the censer could easily be used to fumigate or scent garments. This is described by [[Edward H. Schafer]]:
<blockquote>"Censing baskets" were globes of hollow metal, pierced with intricate floral or animal designs; within the globe, an iron cup, suspended on gimbals, contained the burning incense. They were used to perfume garments and bedclothes, and even to kill insects.<ref>Schafer, Edward H. (1963). ''The Golden Peaches of Samarkand, a Study of T'ang Exotics''. University of California Press. p. 155.</ref></blockquote>
Other Chinese censers are shaped like birds or animals, sometimes designed so that the incense smoke would issue from the mouth. During the medieval period when censers were more commonly used in [[Chinese Buddhism|Buddhist]] and [[Taoism|Daoist]] rituals'','' hand-held censers (''shoulu'' [[Wikt:手|手]]爐) fashioned with long handles were developed.

Archeologists have excavated several censers from [[Han dynasty|Han]] era tombs that contained aromatics or ashen remains. Some of these aromatic plants have been identified as ''maoxiang'' (茅香 "[[Imperata cylindrica]], thatch grass"), ''gaoliangjiang'' (高良薑 "[[Galangal]]"), ''xinyi'' (辛夷 "[[Magnolia liliiflora]], Mulan magnolia), and ''gaoben'' (藁本"[[Ligusticum]] sinense, Chinese lovage"). Scholars speculate burning these grasses "may have facilitated communication with spirits" during funeral ceremonies.<ref>Erickson (1992), p. 15.</ref>

According to the Sinologist and historian [[Joseph Needham]], some early [[Daoist]]s adapted censers for the [[religious and spiritual use of cannabis]]. The Daoist encyclopedia ''Wushang Biyao'' (無上秘要 "Supreme Secret Essentials", ca. 570 CE), recorded adding cannabis into ritual censers.<ref>Needham and Lu (1974), p. 150.</ref> The [[Shangqing School]] of Daoism provides a good example. The Shangqing scriptures were written by [[Yang Xi (mystic)|Yang Xi]] (330– {{Circa|386 CE}}) during alleged visitations by Daoist [[Xian (Taoism)|"immortals"]], and Needham believed Yang was "aided almost certainly by cannabis".<ref name="needham151">Needham and Lu (1974), p. 151.</ref> [[Tao Hongjing]] (456-536 CE), who edited the official Shangqing canon, also compiled the ''Mingyi bielu'' (名醫別錄 "Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians"). It noted that ''mabo'' (麻勃 "cannabis flowers"), "are very little used in medicine, but the magician-technicians ([''shujia''] 術家) say that if one consumes them with ginseng it will give one preternatural knowledge of events in the future."<ref name="needham151" /> Needham concluded,
<blockquote>Thus all in all there is much reason for thinking that the ancient Taoists experimented systematically with hallucinogenic smokes, using techniques which arose directly out of liturgical observance. … At all events the incense-burner remained the centre of changes and transformations associated with worship, sacrifice, ascending perfume of sweet savour, fire, combustion, disintegration, transformation, vision, communication with spiritual beings, and assurances of immortality. ''Wai tan'' and ''nei tan'' met around the incense-burner. Might one not indeed think of it as their point of origin?<ref>Needham and Lu  (1974), p. 154.</ref></blockquote>
These ''[[Waidan]]'' (外丹 "outer alchemy") and ''[[neidan]]'' (內丹 "inner alchemy") are the primary divisions of [[Chinese alchemy]].

During the [[Tang dynasty|T’ang period]], incense was used by upper-class people for personal hygiene, romantic rendezvous, and deodorizing the interior of edifices. These included places of worship, dwellings, and work-spaces. Dating back to the seventh century AD, the ''kuanhuo'' (changing of fire) ceremony took place, where people would cleanse their homes with incense. However, in some parts of East Asia, incense burners were used as a way to tell time

In the Far East, incense was used as a way to tell time because it was a simple mechanism and generally not a fire hazard. Time increments were marked off on each incense stick to show how much time had passed, then placed in a ritual tripod vessel known as a ''ting''. During imperial coronations, incense sticks would be used to tell how long the ceremony was. Other variations of incense is the spiral incense coil. The spiral incense coil was used to measure time for longer durations. One spiral equated to one night. This type of incense was mainly used by the five ‘night watches’ of the community. The length of their shifts and breaks were determined by the time increments marked off on the spirals.<ref>Bedini, Silvio A. The Trail of Time = Shih-Chien Ti Tsu-Chi : Time Measurement with Incense in East Asia . Cambridge ;: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Print.</ref>

[[Tiangong censer]]s are used for religious reasons in China<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guandu Temple-Deities: Guide to Worship |url=http://www.kuantu.org.tw/GDT_E_01_02_14.html |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=www.kuantu.org.tw}}</ref>

==Middle East==
[[File:Iran, khorasan o asia centrale, brucia-profumi a forma di felino, XI sec. 01 rame e vetro.JPG|thumb|left|Feline perfume-burner, 11th century, [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] or Central Asia]]

{{main|mabkhara}}

Incense burners ('''miqtarah''' in Arabic) were used in both religious and secular contexts, but were more widely utilized in palaces and houses. The earliest known examples of dish-shaped incense burners with [[Zoomorphism|zoomorphic]] designs were excavated in Ghanza,<ref>{{Cite book|title=Art in Afghanistan: Objects from the Kabul Museum|last=Rowland|first=Benjamin|publisher=The Penguin Press|year=1971|isbn=978-0713900682|location=London}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=Nishapur : metalwork of the early Islamic period|last=Allan|first=James W.|publisher=New York : The Metropolitan Museum of Art|year=1981|isbn=978-0300192834|pages=43}}</ref> while the earliest examples of zoomorphic incense burners are from 11th-century Tajikistan.<ref name=":0">Piotrovsky M.B. and Rogers, J.M. (eds), ''Heaven on Earth: Art from Islamic Lands'', pp 86-87, 2004, Prestel, {{ISBN|3791330551}}</ref> It is most likely that this practice was inspired by [[Hellenistic period|Hellenistic]] style incense burners<ref name=":3" /> as well as the frankincense trade present in the Arabian peninsula since the 8th century BCE.<ref name=":22">{{Cite journal|last=Maguer|first=Sterenn Le|date=Summer 2010|title=Typology of incense-burners of the Islamic period|journal=Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies|volume=41|pages=173–185|jstor=41622131}}</ref>  
[[File:Feline incense-burner MET.jpg|thumb|Incense Burner of Amir Saif al-Dunya wa’l-Din ibn Muhammad al-Mawardi, 12th century, [[Taybad]]|alt=Source of photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art]]
A wide variety of designs were used at different times and in different areas. Pottery and stone incense burners were the most common while those made of metals were reserved for the wealthy. Artisans created these incense burners with moulds or the lost-wax method. Openwork zoomorphic incense burners with [[lynx]] or lion designs were popular in the Islamic world; [[bronze]] or [[brass]] examples are found from the 11th century until the Mongol conquests of the 13th century.<ref name=":0" /> These were especially popular during the [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuq period]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451042?&searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=incense+burner&offset=0&rpp=20&amp;pos=2|title=Incense Burner of Amir Saif al-Dunya wa'l-Din ibn Muhammad al-Mawardi|date=Nov 16, 2019|website=The MET}}</ref> The extensive use of lynx shape incense burners was due to the animals popularity as a hunting animal and as pet in Muslim courts.<ref name=":0" /> The complexity of the piece would also make it fit into a palatial setting. This style of incense burners could measure about 22&nbsp;cm; others like an example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York measures 85&nbsp;cm.<ref name=":1" /> The surface of the object would be decorated with bands of [[Arabic calligraphy]] which would imitate a [[tiraz]]. This bands of text could include the name of the artist and the patron as well as prayers and good wishes for the owner. To insert coals and incense the head would be removed; the openwork geometric design would then allow the scented smoke to escape.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Islamic Metalwork|last=Ward|first=Rachel|publisher=British Museum Press|year=1993|isbn=978-0500277317|location=London|pages=[https://archive.org/details/islamicmetalwork00ward/page/12 12]|url=https://archive.org/details/islamicmetalwork00ward/page/12}}</ref> Depending on the size, the incense burner could be either carried on a tray or carried by using the tail as a handle.

In [[mosque]]s, incense burners do not have a liturgical use or a specific design denoted for religious context.<ref name=":22"/> However, they are still an important part of rituals and weddings. Other religious groups in Middle East such as the [[Copts]] and [[Syriacs]] do have ceremonial uses for incense burners.   

==Japan==
[[File:Brule-parfum au dragon.jpg|thumb|Bronze censer (kōro) with dragon made by [[Kimura Toun]] (c. 1800-1870). [[Musée Cernuschi]]]]
'''Koro''' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]]: 香炉, ''kōro''), also a Chinese term, is a Japanese censer often used in [[Japanese tea ceremony|Japanese tea ceremonies]].

Examples are usually of globular form with three feet, made in [[pottery]], [[Imari porcelain]], [[Kutani ware]], [[Kakiemon]], [[Satsuma ware|Satsuma]], [[vitreous enamel|enamel]] or [[bronze]].
In Japan a similar censer called a {{Nihongo|''egōro''|柄香炉}} is used by several Buddhist sects. The egōro is usually made of brass with a long handle and no chain. Instead of charcoal, makkō powder is poured into a depression made in a bed of ash. The makkō is lit and the incense mixture is burned on top. This method is known as Sonae-kō (Religious Burning).<ref name=JI>{{cite web|url=http://www.japanese-incense.com/sonaeko.htm|title=Buddhist Incense – Sonae ko|author=Japanese-Incense|access-date=2014-07-13|archive-date=2012-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120903072907/http://www.japanese-incense.com/sonaeko.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{see also|Kōdō}}

==Mesoamerica==
[[File:Tapadera de incensario teotihuacana (M. América Inv.91-11-45) 01.jpg|thumb|[[Teotihuacan]] censer lid. Museo de América, Madrid]]
Used domestically and ceremonially in Mesoamerica, particularly in the large Central-Mexican city of [[Teotihuacan]] (100–600 AD) and in the many kingdoms belonging to the [[Maya civilization]], were ceramic incense burners. The most common materials for construction were [[Adobe]], plumbate,<ref>Bruhns, Karen Olsen. “Plumbate Origins Revisited.” American Antiquity, vol. 45, no. 	04, 1980, pp. 845–848., doi:10.2307/280154.</ref> and [[earthenware]]. These materials can be dried by the sun and were locally sourced, making them the perfect material for a Mayan craftsman. Censers vary in decoration. Some are painted using a [[fresco]] style technique or decorated with ''adornos'',<ref name="Feinman, Gary M. 1995">Feinman, Gary M., and Dorie Reents-Budet. "Painting the Maya Universe: Royal Ceramics of the Classic Period." The Hispanic American Historical Review 75, no. 3 (1995): 457. doi:10.2307/2517243.</ref> or small ceramic ornaments. These decorations usually depicted shells, beads, butterflies, flowers, and other symbols with religious significance that could to increase rainfall, agricultural abundance, fertility, wealth, good fortune or ease the transition of souls into the underworld.<ref>Morehart, Christopher T., Abigail Meza Peñaloza, Carlos Serrano Sánchez, Emily Mcclung De Tapia, and Emilio Ibarra Morales. "Human Sacrifice During the Epiclassic Period in the Northern Basin of Mexico." Latin American Antiquity 23, no. 04 (2012): 426-48. doi:10.7183/1045-6635.23.4.426.</ref> To identify precious materials such as [[jadeite]] and [[quetzal]] feathers, important visual markers of status,<ref name="Feinman, Gary M. 1995"/> artists used colorful paints.

Used to communicate with the gods, these censers functioned for acts of religious purification. Incense would be presented to the divine being. In fact, some people were appointed the position of fire priest. Fire priests dealt with most tasks related to incense burning. Some rituals involved a feast, which would be followed by the fire priest igniting a sacred brazier in the temples. It was given to the divine beings and deities as offerings on a daily basis. The practice would end at the sound of a trumpet made from a conch shell. Another function of incense was to heal the sick. Once recuperated, the diseased would present some incense to the appropriate gods to repay them for being cured.<ref>Culler, Judith L. Incense Burners. Gettysburg  Pa: Gettysburg College/Gettysburg Pa., 1961. Print.</ref> Made up of [[copal]] (tree resin), rubber, pine, herbs, myrrh, and chewing gum, the incense produced what was described as "the odor of the center of heaven."<ref>Coe, Michael D. The Maya, Seventh Edition. 2005.</ref>

The shape of incense burners in the Maya southern lowlands reflected religious and cultural changes over time. Some censers were used in funerals and funerary rituals, such as those depicting the Underworld Jaguar or the Night Sun God. When a king would die, ‘termination rituals’ were practiced. During these rituals, ''[[incensario]]s'' would be smashed and older temples were replaced with new ones.<ref>Rice, P.M. 1999, ‘Rethinking Classic lowland Maya pottery censers’, ''Ancient Mesoamerica'', vol. 10, no.1, pp.25-50.</ref> Mayan censers, which had a reservoir for incense on top of a vertical shaft were highly elaborate during the Classic period (600–900 AD), particularly in the kingdom of [[Palenque]], and usually show the head of a Mayan deity. In Post-Classic Yucatán, particularly in the capital of the kingdom of [[Mayapan]], censers were found in great numbers, often shaped as an aged priest or deity. Craftsmen produced Mayan censers in many sizes, some just a few inches in height, others, several feet tall.

==Christian use==
[[File:Kandilo 01.JPG|thumb|upright|Byzantine-Rite [[priest]] with chain censer]]

===Eastern churches===

====Chain censer====
In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], the [[Oriental Orthodox Church]], as well as the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], censers ([[Greek language|Greek]]: ''thymiateria'') are similar in design to the Western [[thurible]]. This fourth chain passes through a hole the hasp and slides in order to easily raise the lid. There will often be 12 small bells attached to the chains, symbolising the preaching of the [[Twelve Apostles]], where one of the bells has been silenced to symbolize the rebel [[Judas Iscariot|Judas]].<ref name=autogenerated1>Herrera, Matthew D. ''[http://www.smellsbells.com/incense.pdf Holy Smoke: The Use of Incense in the Catholic Church] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912022346/http://www.smellsbells.com/incense.pdf |date=2012-09-12 }}.'' San Luis Obispo:  Tixlini Scriptorium, 2011.</ref> In some traditions the censer with bells is normally used only by a bishop. Before a deacon begins a censing, he will take the censer to the priest (or the bishop, if he is present) for a [[blessing]]. The censers, charcoal and incense are kept in the [[diaconicon]] (sacristy) Entrance with the censer at Great Vespers.

The censer is used much more frequently in the Eastern churches: typically at every [[vespers]], [[matins]], and [[Divine Liturgy]], as well as [[pannikhida]]s (memorial services), and other occasional offices. If a [[deacon]] is present, he typically does much of the ''censing;'' otherwise, the [[priest]] will perform the censing. Unordained servers or acolytes are permitted to prepare and carry the censer, but may not swing it during prayers. Liturgical ''Censing'' is the practice of swinging a censer suspended from chains towards something or someone, typically the [[Eucharist|Holy Eucharist]], an [[icon]] or person, so that smoke from the burning incense travels in that direction. Burning incense represents the prayers of the church rising towards [[Heaven]].<ref name=autogenerated1 />  One commonly sung [[psalm]] during the censing is "Let my prayer arise in Thy sight as incense, and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice."<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+141&version=NIV Psalm 141:2, New International Version]</ref>  When a deacon or priest performs a full censing of the [[temple]] (church building), he will often say [[Psalm 51]] quietly to himself.

====Hand censer====

In addition to the chain censer described above, a "hand censer" (Greek: Κατσί ''katzi or katzion'') is used on certain occasions. This device has no chains and consists of a bowl attached to a handle, often with bells attached. The lid is normally attached to the bowl with a hinge.

In Greek practice, particularly as observed on [[Mount Athos]], during the portion of Vespers known as "Lord, I cry unto Thee" the [[ecclesiarch]] (sacristan) and his assistant will perform a full censing of the temple and people using hand censers.

Some churches have the practice of not using the chain censer during [[Holy Week]], even by a priest or bishop, substituting for it the hand censer as a sign of humility, repentance and mourning over the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Passion of Christ]]. They return to using the chain censer just before the [[Gospel (liturgy)|Gospel reading]] at the Divine Liturgy on [[Great Saturday]].

Some Orthodox Christians use a standing censer on their [[icon corner]] (home altar).

===Western churches===
[[File:QuinnCense.jpg|thumb|right|Censer used during Mass]]
In the [[Latin Church]] and its [[Latin liturgical rites]] of the [[Catholic Church]] and some other groups, the censer is often called a ''[[thurible]]'', and used during important offices ([[benediction]]s, processions, and important [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Masses]]). A common design for a thurible is a metal container, about the size and shape of a coffee-pot, suspended on chains. The bowl contains hot coals, and the incense is placed on top of these. The thurible is then swung back and forth on its chains, spreading the fragrant smoke.

A famous thurible is the ''[[Botafumeiro]]'', in the cathedral of [[Santiago de Compostela]]. Suspended from the ceiling of the cathedral, the swinging of this {{convert|5|ft|m|adj=on}} high, 55 kilogram silver vessel is an impressive sight.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

One of the explanations for the great size of the Botafumeiro is that in the early days it was used to freshen the air in the cathedral after being visited by droves of travel-weary pilgrims.  It was also once believed that the incense smoke guarded against contracting the many diseases that plagued the populace in past centuries.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Some thuribles were based on an architectural motif, for example the Gozbert Censer from the Cathedral of Trier inspired by the Temple of Solomon.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gomez-Moreno|first=Carmen|title=Medieval Art from Private Collections A Special Exhibition at The Cloisters October 30, 1968, through March 30, 1969|publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art|year=1968|location=New York|pages=89}}</ref>

== Hindu use ==

Hindus have traditionally used an earthen censer called a [[Dhunachi]] for burning incense with coal, though coconut husk is also used. The vessel has a flared shape with a curved handle and an open top. There are also brass and silver versions.

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:Incense burner from Assur, Iraq. Circa 2400 BC. The Pergamon Museum, Berlin.jpg|Incense burner from Assur, Iraq. Circa 2400 BC. The Pergamon Museum, Berlin
File:Lidded incense burner (xianglu) with geometric decoration and narrative scenes.jpg|Lidded incense burner (xianglu) with geometric decoration and narrative scenes. [[Han dynasty]], 2nd century BCE
File:Boshan Burner Inlaid with Gold.jpg|Bronze incense burner inlaid with gold; from the tomb of [[Liu Sheng, Prince of Zhongshan]], at [[Hebei Mancheng]], Chinese [[Western Han]] period, 2nd century BC
File:백제 금동대향로.jpg|[[Gilt-bronze Incense Burner of Baekje]], National Treasure of Korea No. 287
File:Ming incense burner 1575 1600 with Ottoman mount 1618.jpg|Chinese porcelain stool (1575-1600) with [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] metallic mounting and modifications (1618) for use as an incense burner [[Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum]].
File:Wengchang Temple 02.jpg|Incense burner of the Wenchang Temple in Yilan County, Taiwan
File:Insect-Cage Incense Burner, late 19th to early 20th century, by Tetsunao, Japan, bronze, gold, silve, and shakudo (copper-gold alloy) - Art Institute of Chicago - DSC00239.JPG|Insect-Cage Incense Burner, late 19th to early 20th century, by Tetsunao, Japan.
File:Rabbit-shpaed Incense Burner, Japan, 19th century, sentoku with cloisonne top - George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum - DSC03818.JPG|Rabbit-shaped censer, Japan, 19th century, sentoku with cloisonne top
File:Khalili Collection Japanese Meiji Art M072 CROP.jpg|Japanese {{lang|ja-Latn|koro}}, 1890, from the [[Khalili Collection of Japanese Art]]
File:Pastille burner in shape of house, c. 1821-1850. Main part Wellcome L0057775.jpg|British pottery pastille burner, c. 1821-1850
File:Dolphin Tripod Pastille Burner LACMA AC1997.109.11.1-.2.jpg|[[Wedgwood]] [[stoneware]] pastille burner, 1830–50
File:Incense Burner and Stand for an Altar Cross, 1150-1175 AD, German, Lower Saxony, perhaps Hildesheim, bronze - Cleveland Museum of Art - DSC08641.JPG|Censer for an Altar Cross, 1150-1175 AD, German, Lower Saxony. [[Cleveland Museum of Art]]
File:Kashmir Censer (BM).JPG|Copper alloy censer from Kashmir, 9th–10th Centuries AD, [[British Museum]]<ref>[https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3417161&partId=1&people=141246&peoA=141246-3-18&page=1 British Museum Collection]</ref>
File:Roekelseskar.jpg|Thurible with bells
File:Brass Incense Burner.JPG|Brass incense burner at Jaffna museum, Sri Lanka.
File:PaoAnGongCenser.jpg|A large censer in front of the [[Dalongdong Baoan Temple|Taipei Baoan]] temple
File:Khalili Collection Islamic Art mtw 1041.2.jpg|alt=Incense Burner in the Form of an Elephant. Made of Copper alloy, cast, pierced and engraved|Incense Burner in the Form of an Elephant. Eastern Iran or northern India. Late 12th or early 13th century AD. [[Khalili Collections|Khalili Collection]].
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Crotalus (instrument)|Crotalus]]
* [[Dabqaad]]
* [[Mabkhara]]
* [[Thurible]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Wiktionary-inline}}
*{{commons category-inline|Censers}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cannabis and religion]]
[[Category:Ceremonial magic]]
[[Category:Chinese inventions]]
[[Category:Christian religious objects]]
[[Category:Incense equipment]]
[[Category:Religious objects]]
[[Category:Zhou dynasty]]