Dehua-kiln, double-layered white-glaze porcelain incense burner with ears in the shape of animal heads

In traditional Chinese culture, furnishings do not have a purely practical function—they play a vital role in creating a harmonious living environment, while also serving as a window into the homeowner's taste and spirituality. With the secularization of religion in the middle to late Ming Dynasty, people began to pray to Chinese gods and immortals as idols on a daily basis, asking for worldly blessings or to ward off disasters. During this time, Dehua kilns not only produced a large number of Buddha statues, but also a variety of antique-style furnishings used in worship, such as incense burners, ritual wine vessels, bottles, and jars.