Iranian Incense Burner

A one object exhibition of Iranian incense burner within the series Asian Art Stories is on view from 31 May until 28 August 2022 at the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE in Riga (Doma laukums 6).

Iran’s metalworking traditions are closely linked with Islamic ones, with their origins being associated with the period of the Persian Sasanian dynasty (224–651), when master craftsmen borrowed from and developed items from Roman, Byzantine and Central Asian examples. The Islamic metalworking tradition is related most often to the territory of Iran, due to the metal ore extraction sites located there.

The exhibited incense burner is a part of the Latvian National Museum of Art collection and belongs to Iranian 19th and 20th century metalware according to its tradition and the continuity of its decorative motif. Traditional succession in decor can be seen in the ornamentation of the vessel – a geometric circle, flora and fauna elements, animals which are impersonating people, and people. The incense burning vessel with its rich ornamentation and symbols reveals the history and traditions of South East Asia metalworking in the 19th century.

The exhibition series Asian Art Stories produced by the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE encourages to discover and understand certain artworks, techniques, functions as well as their philosophical, religious, cultural, and contextual significance. Western viewers have always been fascinated with the Asian art by its extraordinary form, technique and aesthetic view. The Asian Art Collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art has several thousand artworks from different Asian countries, however, only part of them are exhibited in the Asian Art Gallery of the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE. By showing one artwork or a group of objects, within the exhibition series, we discover these exceptional stories that often remain unheard.