Origins of Urn
- Thread starter Sheshinez
- Start date
- 8 Aug 2005
- 7,316
- 3,727
I see a hole in the base and lid, which would suggest it's not an urn. Does the hole in the top go all the way through? It could be an incense burner. The characters in the sides could be zodiac animals, but I see nothing to make me suspect that it is Japanese.
- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,050
- 18,903
This could be an incense burner but, honestly, it looks more like an ashtray to me. The twelve figures seem to be zodiac animals but do not look very Asian. @Sheshinez, where did you find this piece?
- 8 Aug 2005
- 7,316
- 3,727
Yes, could be, I was just trying to guess what kind of vessel would have that kind of lid, without any grooves to hold cigarettes, which is often a telltale sign for ashtrays
- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,050
- 18,903
- 8 Aug 2005
- 7,316
- 3,727
it's also so deep! It's just hard to guess at its intended function.. it doesn't really look like any incense burner I've seen either. Even if there is a through-hole in the lid, that's not a very effective incense burner, as they usually allow much more airflow.That's true... just a non-smoker's guess.
At any rate, there's no signature and the aesthetic is hard to place in the hemisphere.
- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,050
- 18,903
I was looking at it the wrong way earlier: the bottom looks like an ashtray. Shouldn't post before the morning coffee kicks in, lol.
Anyhow, I found some Chinese zodiac figurines on Alibaba that resemble those displayed on the object. They could be Chinese.
Anyhow, I found some Chinese zodiac figurines on Alibaba that resemble those displayed on the object. They could be Chinese.