Jesuit incense burner (Kaifeng)
Medium:Cast bronze
Geography: China
Date: 17th-18th Century
Period: Ming-Qing Dynasty
Dimensions:14.7 × 12.1 cm
Object number: 926.21.6
Credit Line: Bishop William C. White Collection
Gallery Location:Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art
DescriptionThis incense burner, from the Jesuit mission in Kaifeng which flourished from 1628 to 1724, features a cross and the letters IHS (a monogram of the name of Jesus). Its archaic tripod shape illustrates one of the ways that Jesuits used prestigious local forms and symbols to advance their cause.
The Jesuits were the first to send reports to the West about the isolated Jewish community in Kaifeng.
