Incense Burner Inlaid with Gold

Boshan-style Bronze Incense Burner Inlaid with Gold represents the pinnacle of bronze craftsmanship in the Han Dynasty of China. Unearthed in 1968 from the tomb of Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan, in Mancheng, Hebei Province. Standing at 26 centimeters tall, it comprises three parts: the base, the tray, and the lid. The entire piece is adorned with the gold-inlay technique, where gold threads as fine as hair delineate patterns of clouds, mountain ranges, and mythical beasts. The base features openwork carvings of three dragons emerging from water, while the lid is crafted into layered peaks, symbolizing the legendary fairy mountain “Boshan” in the sea. Within the mountains, tigers and leopards roam, and hunters patrol and hunt. Incense smoke wafts through the perforated holes, creating an illusion of a “fairyland”. 错金铜博山炉是中国汉代青铜器工艺的巅峰之作，1968 年出土于河北满城中山靖王刘胜墓。其高 26 厘米，由炉座、炉盘、炉盖三部分组成，通体以错金工艺装饰，金丝细如发丝，勾勒出云气纹、山峦及神兽图案。炉座透雕三龙出水，炉盖层峦叠嶂，象征传说中的海上仙山 “博山”，山间虎豹奔走、猎人巡猎，香烟从镂孔袅袅升起，营造 “仙境” 幻象。