An archaic bronze ‘mythical beasts' censer and cover (Boshanlu), Western Han dynasty

Blitz Antiques, Amsterdam (International Asian Art Fair, New York), 14th April 1999.

Figures and Landscapes in Asian Art, Yale University, New Haven, 1999.

The boshanlu (Universal Mountain censer) is one of the most iconic and visually striking forms within the Han dynasty artistic canon. These mountain-shaped censers, believed to have developed during the Western Han dynasty, held both practical and symbolic significance. Likely introduced to China from Western and Central Asia during the reign of Emperor Han Wudi (141–87 BCE), they quickly became associated with an idealized foreign realm and the mythical mountains believed to be the dwelling places of Immortals.

The design of boshanlu reflects the Daoist conception of sacred peaks where immortals live in eternal harmony. Their form was not merely decorative but functional: the perforated mountain motif allowed smoke from burning incense to waft through the openings, imitating mist rolling over lofty landscapes, thus enhancing the evocative imagery of a mystical, otherworldly realm. Compare with a similar boshanlu, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing (accession no. 新00126175).