Thurible

A thurible is a religious object in which incense is burned over hot coals, thus perfuming the church, clergy and congregation and, most important, the altars. It is also used at funerals, where the incense smoke spiraling upwards marked the respect and deference due to the dead. It was first composed of two hemispheres and later gained forms inspired from religious architecture. From the 16th century onwards they took on the form of a lidded bowl or receptacle for the charcoal, with a hand-guard hanging from chains that connect the three parts.
This censer, set on a circular base with radiating foliage, has a silver chamber and a metallic bowl for burning the incense. The plant motifs, in relief, include open flowers and leaves that cover the chamber, whose sections are divided and topped by a ring. The chimney with its collar and grid of square openings is closed by a sort of dome that terminates in a pinnacle. The four chains by which the censer is moved and handled are inserted through holes in the chimney. The handguard – the disc that joins the four chains – also has a hook to hang the censer when it is not in use.