Antique-Style Chinese Gilt-Relief Bronze Tripod Incense Burner with Elephant Handles & Tiger Medallion Lidded Censer 33cm

Antique-Style Gilt-Relief Bronze Tripod Incense Burner with Elephant Handles

This is a commanding, altar-scale incense burner in heavy cast bronze (or bronze-alloy), presented in a classic tripod censer form with sculptural elephant-head handles and a lid crowned by an openwork finial. Across the body, a raised gilt relief panel depicts a tiger within a rounded cartouche, framed by scrolling cloud and floral ornament—an iconography set that reads as auspicious power, protection, and authority. The surface carries a deep, warm brown patina with selective gilded highlights, giving the piece the theatrical presence collectors look for in traditional ritual metalwork.

On the sides, the elephant-ear handles are modeled as beast heads with curled trunks, a motif that bridges court taste and temple culture across the broader East Asian world. In censer design language, these handles are more than decoration: they visually “anchor” the vessel, giving it a ceremonial weight even before incense is lit. The piece sits on three feet and includes a fitted pedestal base, helping elevate airflow beneath the bowl and giving the display a formal, shrine-like silhouette.

The underside bears a stamped or cast mark plaque. While sellers often attribute pieces like this to earlier periods, marks and style can be reproduced; therefore, the most responsible approach is to treat the date as attributed unless you obtain an expert in-hand appraisal. Regardless of exact period, the workmanship and scale make it a serious interior object—ideal for a tokonoma-style display, a collector’s cabinet, or a calm “scent ritual” corner where incense becomes a daily practice.

Measurements 

• Height: approx. 33 cm
• Mouth diameter: approx. 16.8 cm
• Body diameter: approx. 24 cm
• Max width (handle to handle): approx. 34.5 cm
  

Condition (seller notes + visual reading)

• General age wear and surface patina consistent with use/storage
• Expect minor scuffs, small dings, and rub to gilding
• Please rely on photos for exact condition; monitor color differences may occur

Why collectors care

• Monumental presence (33 cm)  — not a light decorative casting
• Elephant-handle architecture + tiger medallion relief — strong symbolic program
• Lidded form with pedestal base — “complete” shrine-display silhouette

Collector’s Resonance

For the collector who prefers objects with gravity—items that change the atmosphere of a room. If your taste leans toward temple metalwork, cabinet-of-curiosities drama, or ritual interiors where scent is part of daily discipline, this piece reads as an anchor object.

Confidence & Verification Notes

This listing describes the piece based on photographs and the seller’s measurements/claims. Period attributions and mark interpretations can be unreliable without in-hand inspection. If you need certainty on age, alloy, or origin, plan for professional appraisal before final cataloging.