Antique Chinese Ming gilt bronze ceremonial dragon censer. The body has wider flanged opening supported by an ovoid body, thick potted, with the cupped body, a circular opening, raised on shallow cornered legs, two archaic myth handles flanked on either side on the main body. The main body carved by a gilt dragon that's coiled up and five claws imperial dragon soaring amidst flames and vapors, with face and upper right appendage outstretched toward the heavens. Vigorous dragons chasing flaming pearl amidst flames against clouds diaper. The backdrop depicts swirling wind and fire carved atop a beautiful gilt bronze. The vessel has mottled green hues and a tinge of grayish-brown patina. Bronze is in gorgeous condition with minimal marring of the surface. The bronze is bright and lustrous as the light is easily reflected from the well-polished surfaces. The plaques split in the middle section, and fitted perfectly upon each other. There is a light grey patina noted in several creases. The bronze is very fine, with a brilliant glaze finish that was applied by a meticulous, the shape is uniformly proportioned. The underside bears a reign mark, a six protrudging script characters within receded rectangular, Made in the years of Xuande Reign Period of Great Ming Dynasty. Dimensions: Height 2.75" Width: 7.25" LOT NOTES: The history of censers in Chinese culture probably began in the late Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770–256 BCE). The Chinese words meaning "censer" are compounds of lu ("brazier; stove; furnace"), which originated as a type of Chinese bronze. Xianglu (with "incense") "incense burner; censer" is the most common term. Xunlu (with "smoke; fumigate; cure (food) with smoke", with "fragrance; an aromatic grass") means "small censer. Shoulu (with "hand") means "hand-held censer; handwarmer". The boshanlu ("universal mountain censer" or boshan Xianglu) or hill censer, which became popular during the era of Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BCE), displayed a microcosmic sacred mountain (esp. Mount Kunlun or Mount Penglai). These elaborate censers were designed with apertures that made rising incense smoke appear like clouds or mist swirling around a mountain peak The Han Dynasty scholar Liu Xiang wrote a (c. 40 BCE) boshanlu inscription. I value this perfect utensil, lofty and steep as a mountain! Its top is like 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, Archeologists excavated many (c. second century BCE) boshanlu at Mawangdui, and some contained the remains of ashes. Analysis revealed aromatic plants such as maoxiang ("Imperata cylindrical, thatch grass"), gaoliangjiang ("Galangal"), xinyi ("Magnolia Lili flora, Mulan magnolia), and gaoben ("Ligusticum sinense, Chinese lovage"). Scholars presume burning these grasses "may have facilitated communication with spirits" during funeral ceremonies. 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 center of changes and transformations associated with worship, sacrifice, ascending perfume of sweet savor, 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? These Waidan ("outer alchemy") and neidan ("inner alchemy") are the primary divisions of Chinese alchemy.