Longquan Celadon · Plum Green Sunflower-Rimmed High-Foot Dou-Style Incense Holder

Material: Ceramic (Celadon) | Colour: Plum Green
Craft: Longquan celadon Di kiln technique, fired at 1300°C. Pure, smooth glaze with no crackle. Fine, warm texture — feels like jade to the touch.
Place of Origin: Zhejiang, China
Handcrafted by Wu Yong (Celadon Artisan, Master of Arts and Crafts)
Handcrafted. One of a kind. Signed collector’s certificate included.

Its form is drawn from the ancient ritual vessel called Dou — a highfooted, shallowbowled vessel used in Shang and Zhou dynasties for offerings. Here, that solemn elegance is reimagined for the tea table — an object that speaks of both reverence and refinement.

The upper bowl is shaped with a sunflowerrimmed rim — five or six lobes opening outward like a flower in bloom. A classic Songdynasty form, it carries the quiet blessing of good fortune and renewal. At its centre, a small lotus platform is carved in relief, with a slender hole for holding incense sticks and catching ash — clean, simple, and considered.

Around the waist runs a band of beaded circles — raised pearls, evenly spaced, full and rounded. This motif, borrowed from ancient gold and silver vessels, speaks of fortune flowing without end.

The high foot swells into a full, rounded base, where upright lotus petals are carved in relief — each petal unfurling, slightly lifted at the tip, as if holding the vessel aloft. The lotus, rising unstained from the mud, has long been a symbol of purity and clarity — of the heart untouched by the world.

Three motifs, three blessings: the sunflower brings good fortune, the beads carry endless grace, and the lotus holds the heart still.