Incense Boat and Spoon thumbnail 1
Incense Boat and Spoon thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Incense Boat and Spoon

1550-1600 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Italy (made)

Incense boat and spoon. Rock crystal with silver mounts, partially gilded, with gems.


Object details

Categories
Metalwork
Christianity
Object type
Incense boat and spoon
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Incense Boat
  • Spoon
Materials and techniques
Rock crystal with silver mounts, partially gilded, with gems
Crystal
Silver
Gilding
Brief description
with incense boat; Silver, Continental

Rock crystal with silver mounts, probably Italian, 1550-1600
Physical description
Incense boat and spoon. Rock crystal with silver mounts, partially gilded, with gems.
Gallery label
  • INCENSE BOAT AND SPOON 1550-1600 Incense formed an important part of the Catholic ritual. Burnt during services, ceremonies and processions, it produced a perfumed smoke that symbolised the prayers of the faithful rising to heaven. The incense was often stored in a boat-shaped container, like this one, and then spooned into a censer, which swung from chains so the smoke would waft to and fro. Probably Italy Rock crystal with silver mounts, partially gilded, with gems Museum no. 1129&A-1864
  • INCENSE BOAT AND SPOON Rock crystal with silver mounts, parcel-gilt and gems Italian (?); unmarked, 1550-1600 Incense signified a prayer of an offering to God and was used at High Mass - a solemnly celebrated Mass with music and the assistance of a deacon, sub-deacon and acolytes - and in the course of processions, blessings and other ceremonies. Boat-shaped containers like this one were used to store incense from the Middle Ages onwards. The crystal in this incense boat may have been carved at one of a number of places which specialised in rock crystal production, such as Venice, Catalonia and the Alpine region.
  • INCENSE BOAT AND SPOON Rock crystal with silver-gilt mounts, embossed, chased and gem-set Italian (?); unmarked, 1550-1600
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
1129&A-1864

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Record createdJuly 3, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158388/incense-boat-and-unknown/
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