Italian
Censer, 16th century
Brass, 22.3 x 13 x 13 cm (8 13/16 x 5 1/8 x 5 1/8 in.)
A censer is a vessel for burning incense during religious ceremonies. The brass censer’s top is shaped like an open spire, while the bottom is a solid, shallow hexagon on a long pedestal. The base is not decorated but has slight angles hammered around the brass. The censer has an elaborately perforated lid. The lid is decorated on the first row with a perforated design of narrow rectangles with circles atop. The next row is perforated with trefoils (three-leaf clovers) and hearts. The top of the censer is perforated with larger images of vertical rectangles with circles and upside-down hearts. At the very top of the spire there is a projection with a hole where a chain would have been threaded.
Long Gallery
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.