Description:

A CAST BRONZE CAMEL-FORM INCENSE BURNER, KHORASAN, 12TH CENTURY
Khorasan, Eastern Iran, 12th century

Description:
A finely cast bronze incense burner in the form of a recumbent camel, with its legs tucked beneath and its head rising with a gentle curve from the elongated neck. The upper section of the body is pierced with a dense pattern of arabesques and floral scrolls within a saddle-like panel, acting as a vented lid for the smoke to escape. The openwork is finely executed, featuring interlaced vegetal motifs surrounding a central rosette. Delicate incised borders frame the panel and saddle blanket, enhancing the contrast between solid and openwork textures.

The camel’s stylised anatomy, from the slightly abstracted head with drilled eyes to the clearly modelled folds of its flanks, showcases the naturalistic sensibilities of Khorasani metalwork in the Seljuk period. These burners were likely used in elite or religious settings, where both their functional and symbolic qualities—incense purification and the evocation of the camel as a noble, spiritual beast—were appreciated.

Dimensions: Length x Height: 11 x 9.5cm

Comparable examples:

  • A Seljuk bronze camel-shaped incense burner sold at Christie’s, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 27 October 2016, Lot 75, for £15,000.

  • A similar 12th-century bronze incense vessel from Khorasan fetched £13,750 at Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 11 June 2012, Lot 47.

  • A related incense burner in the form of a horse with pierced saddle panels sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 25 April 2018, Lot 115, for £14,375.

Note:
Bronze animal-shaped incense burners from Khorasan are among the most charming and technically accomplished small metalworks of the Islamic medieval period. Their dual function as utilitarian and decorative objects speaks to the refined tastes of Seljuk elites, while the choice of the camel—an animal imbued with both religious and cultural significance—adds an additional layer of symbolism to this beautifully preserved piece.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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