Gold colored pierced vessel with handle. Small dark figure sits on top.

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Unknown Maker, German

Incense Burner

Now On View

Maker

Culture

German

Title

Incense Burner

Year

ca. 1525

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

copper, bronze, silver, gilding

Dimensions

28.3 cm (11 1/8 inches) (height)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Works of Art Fund

Object Number

48.330

Type

Metalwork

Exhibition History

Trading Earth

Ceramics, Commodities, and Commerce

Apr 09, 2022 – Jul 20, 2025

Label copy

Placed on the back of the hand and inhaled through the nose, finely ground tobacco, or snuff, offers a smokeless way of ingesting nicotine. The practice began in Brazil, spreading through the Americas and to Europe by the 1700s, where the custom became one of social performance, accompanied by innovatively designed snuff boxes.

Pendleton Pantry

Jan 01, 1995

Image use

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, German

Incense Burner, ca. 1525

Copper with gilding, silver, and bronze

28.3 cm (11 1/8 inches) (height)

Museum Works of Art Fund 48.330

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