Xiao Man Censer小滿香爐

Xiao Man Censer — Twin Lion-Ear Tripod Zun Censer

The old calendar has a Lesser Fullness, but no Greater Fullness.

"Fill a vessel to the brim and it were better to have stopped in time." — Tao Te Ching, ch. 9

Xiao Man — "Lesser Fullness" — is the eighth of the twenty-four solar terms, the moment the grain has filled out but is not yet ripe. Lesser Heat has its Greater Heat, Lesser Snow its Greater Snow, Lesser Cold its Greater Cold; Lesser Fullness stands alone, with no Greater Fullness after it. The old calendar stopped short on purpose. The moon wanes once it is round, water spills once it is level, a vessel tips once it is filled.

This censer keeps the same measure. Two lion ears keep watch on either side; the hollow cylinder holds only the incense — and it is the space left over that the smoke travels through.

The body takes the Song-dynasty zun form — the straight drum, bowstring ridges and three feet borrowed from Han bronze wine vessels, one of the censer shapes most prized on a Song scholar's desk, from Ru to Longquan ware. The lion ears belong to a later memory: the ear types of Ming Xuande censers. Two lineages, rewritten as one object in Dehua Blanc de Chine.

Made at the Chen Family Porcelain Studio in Dehua, Fujian, under the supervision of Chen Gong. Each piece is cast from a mold, then trimmed and finished by hand, then fired and inspected. This piece is left unglazed, retaining its matte bisque surface. Hand finishing and firing bring subtle variations to each piece.

6.4 × 5.1 × 4.5 in · 16.3 × 12.9 × 11.5 cm — length (across the lion ears) × width × height, measured by hand on a sample at the widest points; mold-cast and hand-finished, with slight variations between pieces · Dehua white porcelain, unglazed, matte bisque finish · unnumbered; base stamped with the Chen Gong seal and the XIANSU brand seal.
For incense sticks and incense cakes (with the supplied fire-resistant pad).

Care — please read this first for the unglazed body: bisque is porous. It will take up oil from your hands and smoke from the incense, and deepen in tone over the years — that is how this piece is meant to age, not a flaw. Do not use detergent of any kind and do not immerse it in water; wipe gently with a dry, soft cloth.

Use and storage: place on a stable, heat-resistant surface; never leave burning incense unattended. Avoid sudden changes in temperature.