MEDIEVAL INCENSE BURNER

1400

Cover of an incense burner in three fragments and partly distorted, approximately three-quarters surviving. The outer face is decorated with engraving, and the inner face is covered with by lathe-turning marks. There is a circular aperture in the centre of the top and there are three rows of circular smoke holes around the upper part of the sides, each hole drilled from the interior. The top is decorated with an eight-pointed star formed from lines on a ground of deep rocker-arm. On the sides below the smoke holes triangular fields of similar rocker-arm with apices pointing alternately upwards and downwards are framed by lines, and are separated by groups of three and four dashes. Diameter 80mm. Height 25mm. No parallel has been noted. Probably 15th or 16th century