Incense burner “The Guardian”

Material: jade.

The mask: height 110 mm, length 160 mm.

The tree: height 190 mm, length 160 mm.

A cloud of fragrant smoke puffs and swirls and plays with the imagination, setting one up for a contemplative, meditative mood. Incense burning in the “fire of time” turns into smoke and ash, making you think about the preciousness of human life.

“Guardian” is a new author’s three-part sculpture of different kinds of jade with an applied purpose – an incense burner. It is believed that the incense of herbs elevates to the gods prayers and praise, appease malicious spirits. And burning certain plants purifies the air, disinfects and fills the space with a pleasant smell.

The author’s image of the Guardian is a visual image of the immaterial. The spirit appears as the face of an elder, as a mask hovering in the air and enveloping a stylized mighty tree. From the trunk of the tree, the top of which resembles fluttering tongues of flame, flowing clubs and clouds of aromatic smoke.

In this work, the author has tried to achieve harmony between the intention and the possibilities of the material: all the elements of the smoker exist as separate independent works, and when combined, acquire new meanings and images.