A RETICULATED BAMBOO ‘CRAB ON LOTUS’ INCENSE HOLDER, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Lot 394 - FAS1025

Expert’s note: Bamboo incense holders of the 17th–18th century—products of the Jiading and related bamboo-carving schools—belonged to the scholar’s desk ensemble, used for burning incense during reading, painting, or receiving guests. Their material choice was deliberate: bamboo’s warm surface and fine grain suited literati taste, while the reticulated openwork carving allowed air to feed the ember and let the scent disperse rather than bottle it up.

Technically, this was hard to pull off: the carver had to pierce deep without splintering, keep continuous grain lines, and leave enough ribs and nodes to prevent collapse or warping from heat. Designers solved it with staggered lattices, alternating solid bands, and motifs (lotus, pines, prunus, etc.) that doubled as structural bridges. Some examples were fitted—with small bone/ivory ferrules, metal liners, or a recessed base—to catch ash and protect the bamboo from charring. The best pieces integrate the apertures so cleanly that the eye reads a coherent scene first and only later registers the numerous vents doing the functional work.

China. Of cylindrical form, delicately carved in openwork with a crab resting upon a large, veined lotus leaf amidst blossoms, buds, and further foliage. The wood displays an attractive grain and warm color. The incense holder enclosed with two covers of dark wood.

Provenance: English trade. By repute acquired from a private estate.
Condition: Overall good condition with minor wear, expected age cracks, and few minor losses. Minor warping. One area with minor old repairs to one small piece of lotus stem and one section of the upper rim.

Weight: 97.6 g
Dimensions: Height 21.7 cm

The terms ‘parfumier’ and ‘incense holder’ describe related but distinct objects that reflect the varied uses of fragrance in Chinese culture. Incense holder generally refers to vessels designed for burning resins or herbs, emphasizing their role in ritual, purification, and meditation, where transformation into smoke symbolized both hygiene and spiritual ascent. Parfumier, by contrast, points to containers for dry aromatics, scented powders, or ointments, often introduced through long-distance trade and prized in elite daily life for perfuming garments, interiors, and writing materials. The coexistence of these names highlights how fragrance in China was not limited to incense, but encompassed a broader material culture of scent in which objects could function as ritual tools, luxury goods, or personal refinements.

The present example is rich in auspicious meaning: the pairing of crab and lotus forms the rebus lian ke jia di, wishing for 'first place in consecutive examinations'. At the same time, the lotus (hehua) and the crab (xie) combine to create the phrase hexie, signifying 'harmony'.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related bamboo incense holder depicting the same subject, dated to the Kangxi period, in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, record number BATEA : 1097.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4 October 2011, lot 2026
Price: HKD 175,000 or approx. EUR 28,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bamboo incense holder, Qing dynasty, 18^th/19^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and subject, similarly depicting a crab resting on a lotus pad. The pierce work is more elaborate on this piece compared to the present lot, suggesting a slightly later date.