Head for a Feline Incense Burner
Unknown Artist
1150–1200
Medium
Copper alloy, cast, engraved, chased, and pierced
Dimensions
h. 36 cm, l. 33.7 cm
Classification
Metalwork
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1948.308.b
About this artwork
In Iran during the 1000s and 1100s, vessels in the shape of animals gained popularity, especially as incense burners. Felines were favored in Persian art and this piece may represent a caracal, a type of lynx. The head of the creature was cast separately and is removable to fill its body with hot coals and incense. Qur’anic verses on the neck and spine remind worshippers to set work aside, attend prayer, and then disperse to seek God’s bounty. The diffusion of perfumed smoke through the burner’s...