Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
Incense Burner Lid
Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
© Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami. All rights reserved.

Incense Burner Lid

Artist/Maker (Central Highlands, Mexico)
Dateca. 400-700
Mediumpottery, pigment and mica
DimensionsOverall: 19 1/2 x 21 1/4 x 13 3/4 in. (49.5 x 54 x 34.9 cm)
ClassificationsContainers
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Terms
    Object number89.0062
    On View
    Not on view
    Collections
    DescriptionElaborate ceramic incense burners or incensarios from Teotihuacan have been found as far south as Guatemala and Honduras, indicating the wide range of influence of this great Mesoamerican city. This lid is composed of a cylindrical core to which numerous ceramic and mica ornaments have been applied to create an intricate design. The central human figure wears a butterfly mask on the nose, a symbol associated with fertility and the spirits of the dead. The circular appliquéd pieces represent stone mirrors, artifacts widely used in Mesoamerica by shamans and priests for divination and other magical purposes. Incense burners were probably constructed and disassembled several times, and served as dynamic portable shrines. Many have been found disassembled in burials and temple offerings. Ceramic production was a major economic activity in Teotihuacan and intense archaeological investigations in the area have revealed special sections of the city dedicated to the manufacture of these objects.
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Incense Burner Lid
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Incense Burner
    Teotihuacán
    ca. 350-550
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Incense Burner
    Central Highlands/Atlantic Watershed
    ca. 1000-1550
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Press Mold
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 700-1000
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Tripod Bowl
    Teotihuacán
    ca. 350-550
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Incense Burner
    Manteño
    800-1500
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Incense Burner
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Mask
    Teotihuacán
    ca. 250-550
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Female Figure Nursing an Infant
    Teotihuacán
    ca. 350-550
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Incense Burner Lid
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Incense Burner
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 400-650
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Tripod Jar
    Central Highlands/Atlantic Watershed
    ca. 500-1000
    eMuseum
    Copyright © eMuseum