The Beauty of Chinese Incense Culture From the Shape of Incense

In order to meet the different burning time of incense required in various occasions, people further developed the original appearance of incense wood and herbs, and different shapes of incense appeared, such as petal incense, powder incense, thread incense, lying incense, incense tower, incense ball, printed incense and coil incense, so that the burning time of incense can vary with the shape and type of incense. Here we elaborate on the perfect fit between various incense and Lucky Wooden Incense Burner.

Petal Incense

Petal incense refers to the small petals and pieces of incense wood that are split into pieces. When burning incense in the form of flakes, they are generally placed in an lucky incense burner to burn, but they can also be placed directly on the table or in an incense bag to emit fragrance naturally.

Powder Incense

Powder incense refers to the use of incense wood ground into powder, which is commonly used, including sandalwood powder, agarwood powder, etc. When performing Buddhist offering rituals, the incense powder can be directly spread within the scope of the temple or pagoda temple. In addition, the incense powder can also be used to burn, or mixed with oil or water to make incense, and applied to the human body.

When burning, the incense powder is usually placed in an incense burner or incense tray. When using an incense burner to burn incense powder, first spread a layer of incense ash on the bottom of the incense burner, and then sprinkle the incense powder directly, pile it into a small spire, slender shape or ring shape and then ignite it, but it is easier to extinguish and cannot always maintain the burning state. Therefore, incense seal molds are often used to help fill the powder and compact it, and then burn the incense after taking out the incense seal mold. This method is more convenient and the incense powder is dense, the thickness is consistent, and the burning time is longer. Unlike incense sticks, it does not need to add sticky powder to help fix the shape. It does not contain impurities other than spices, and it has a mellower natural spice fragrance when burning.

Incense Sticks

Incense sticks have appeared as early as the Song and Ming Dynasties. Incense sticks have a longer burning time, so they are also called longevity incense. In ancient times, it was common for temples to use the length of incense sticks as a unit of time measurement, so it is also called “incense inch”.

Incense sticks are long and thin like threads, and can be divided into two types: with a wood core and without a wood core. When making incense sticks, first mix the incense powders such as agarwood, sandalwood, angelica, cloves and patchouli according to the formula required by different incense products, and then apply the bark paste of elm and other trees as an adhesive on the bamboo branches cut into thin straight strips, and then evenly wrap the incense powder on the incense branches and compact it. Another type of incense stick that does not use bamboo branches as cores is to directly compact the mixed incense powder into long strips of incense.

Generally speaking, incense sticks can be thick or thin, mainly because of the needs of the incense burners. Thin incense sticks have a short burning time and produce less smoke, and are usually used by ordinary people at home. Thick incense sticks have a long burning time and are mostly used by temples.

Incense Tower

Incense tower is used to describe the shape of incense, also known as “tower incense”. Incense tower refers to a small conical tower made by mixing various incense powders such as agarwood, sandalwood, cloves, and incense with water. It is common to buy a fixed small tower shape.

Sometimes, for the convenience of use, we will also use tools such as incense spoons to pile the incense powder in the center of the incense burner directly into a cone shape with a pointed top and a round bottom. As long as the tip of the small tower is lit, the incense powder will burn down in sequence, and there will be no powder sticking to the hands.

Printed incense ( Incense Seal )

Printed incense, also known as incense seal, refers to the use of molds to press various incense powders into a continuous, and specific pattern or text, so that even the incense powders can be burned in sequence after being ignited. When using general incense powder, you can directly press out patterns and texts on the incense plate. You can also first spread a layer of sand or incense ash in the incense burner, take dry and loose incense powder, and then use a mold to carefully press it into a fixed seal shape. After igniting from one end, it will burn out according to the shape. The mold for printing incense is called “incense seal mold”, which is mostly made of copper or wood.

The special feature of printed incense is that its shape can be used to assist practitioners in visualization. For example, in Buddhist esoteric Buddhism, the incense burner is visualized as the Dharma Realm, and the pattern of the incense seal is regarded as the character representing compassion and wisdom. When the incense seal is burned, the image of wisdom will gradually appear, and when the incense seal is burned out, the artistic conception of the vacuum of all dharmas can be presented.

In addition, because the shape of printed incense has certain specifications and sizes, and it usually has a fixed time when burning, ancient temples often press various incense powders into seals and patterns and burn them, and then measure the length of time according to different sizes and shapes.

Spiral Incense

Spriral incense, also known as “coil incense”, also refers to a shape of incense. When making spiral incense, the incense powder is usually made into long sticks first, and then carefully bent into a spiral ring shape, left for a while, and then hung up to wait for complete air drying before use. The purpose of making coil incense is mainly because the burning time of coil incense is longer than that of stick incense.

Generally speaking, coil incense has different sizes and thicknesses. Large spiral incense is made thicker and can be hung vertically for burning, or supported by incense holders and burned in incense burners. It is commonly used in temples, Taoist temples or ancestral halls; small spiral incense is mostly used for personal practice or offering, directly using incense plugs or flat on the incense ash in the incense burner, and placed on the table for use.

The Craftsmanship And Charm Of Wooden Incense Burner

In the use of incense, the incense burner, as a carrier and combustion aid, plays an important role, and the wooden incense burner is even more unique.

Wooden incense burners are mostly made of wood with hard texture, beautiful texture and not easy to deform and crack, such as red sandalwood, huanghuali, red rosewood, etc. These woods not only have good physical properties, but also emit a light wood fragrance that can blend with the fragrance of the incense, creating a unique olfactory experience.

From the perspective of shape, the wood incense burner combines traditional craftsmanship and aesthetic concepts. Some imitate the shape of ancient tripods, which are simple and solemn, with two ears and three feet, and simple and smooth lines, showing a calm and steady state; some are designed in the shape of lotus, with delicate and lifelike petals, symbolizing purity and elegance, implying that the process of burning incense can bring peace of mind. The design of the furnace cover is also quite exquisite, or hollow carvings of flowers, birds, fish and insects, which not only ensures the release of fragrance, but also adds artistic appreciation. In terms of carving technology, craftsmen use a variety of techniques such as relief, openwork, and round carving to make the patterns on the wood incense burner lifelike, and every detail is ingenious.

When using a wood incense burner, you need to first spread a layer of incense ash on the bottom of the furnace, which can not only insulate and protect the wood stove body, but also make the incense burn more stably. When the burning incense is placed in the furnace, the curling green smoke slowly rises from the hollow of the furnace cover and fills the indoor space. The warm wood texture of the wooden incense burner is looming under the lingering smoke, creating a quiet, peaceful and Zen atmosphere. Whether it is to assist practitioners in meditation in the Zen room, to add elegance to the study of literati, or to create a warm and comfortable environment in the living room, the wooden incense burner can do it perfectly.

It is not only a practical incense burning utensil, but also a carrier of traditional craftsmanship and culture. After years of precipitation, it still exudes a unique charm in modern life, connecting people with the emotional bond of the ancient incense culture, allowing people to taste the depth and beauty of traditional culture in a wisp of green smoke.