Pre-Columbian, Valley of Mexico, Aztec /surrounding states, end of Tollan phase, ca. 1200 CE. A pretty openwork censer with a long, looped handle. The body of the censer stands on two rounded legs, with a wide, flaring mouth and below that a register of glyph-like openwork patterns. The feet rattle. The body is painted red, with incised motifs, and the handle, feet, and underside are all painted pale brown. This style of censer is similar to the ladle censer, and is found in the Toluca Region and in the Basin of Mexico, one of the shared ceramic forms used by the Aztecs and their various client/tribute states. Size: 12" L x 5.3" W x 4" H (30.5 cm x 13.5 cm x 10.2 cm)

Incense played a major role in religious practice in the Valley of Mexico. The chief priest would use a pouch of copal, tree resin from the torchwood tree, to create incense that would float outward through the openings on the bowl. By burning the copal, he made an offering to the gods - for example, during a ceremony for the god Huitzilopochtli, the hummingbird-formed god of war, priests hoped that their prayers would be carried upward along with the wafting smoke and scent.

Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection

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#124426

Repaired from multiple pieces, at handle and across the bottom of the bowl. Repairs are well done and generally difficult to see. Some nice manganese deposits on surface.