TCM Unearthed: Gilt-Bronze Incense Container (Xiang Baozi)

This exquisite Tang Dynasty vessel is called a Xiang Baozi, meaning treasure container for incense. Typically paired with a censer, these containers were either placed as a pair flanking the incense burner or used alongside a long-handled hand warmer. Its elegant design—a tall foot, deep belly, and lid adorned with a pagoda-shaped finial—showcases the superb craftsmanship of the High Tang period. Precious aromatic materials were stored inside the Baozi and then burned in the censer. The rising fragrance purified the surroundings and served Buddhist devotional practices. This artifact is a key testament to the flourishing Buddhist culture and the refined incense customs of the Tang Dynasty. It is now housed in the Tianjin Aloeswood Art Museum.