Incense burners
An incense burner holds ash, and the ash holds the stick. Bronze, ceramic or stone.
Set up your first burner
Fill it with ash
Fill it most of the way with sifted ash or clean sand. Ash holds the stick up and shields the base from heat.
Stand the stick
Push a stick straight into the ash. At a home altar, people often offer three together.
Keep it tidy
Lift out the stubs and sift the ash now and then. By custom, a burner is never used as an ashtray.
The ash is yesterday's incense, holding up today's.
What to look for
Let ash cool before you sift it. Keep lit incense away from curtains, children and pets, and air the room.
Incense burners
Hand-picked pieces are on the way.
Good to know
What do you put in an incense burner?
Fine incense ash or clean sand, then the stick or cone. Ash is the traditional choice because it is soft, holds sticks upright and keeps heat away from the base.
What does a Xuande mark on a censer mean?
Usually that it was made later, in that style. The Ming Xuande reign, around 1426 to 1435, was famous for fine bronze censers, and later makers kept copying the mark.
Where should you put an incense burner at home?
On a stable table or shelf, away from curtains. On a family altar it sits front and center, and by tradition people handle that burner with care and rarely move it.
