Glazed ceramic, Dunhuang motif
Censer, flying-apsara relief
$78
The body is press-moulded, so the apsara figure sits in relief rather than being painted on. The glaze is thin over the raised edges and pools in the recesses, which is what gives the figure its outline — moulded relief reads through a single glaze because the glaze thins where the surface lifts.
- Material
- Glazed ceramic, kaolin body
- Ships in
- Moulded pulp, double-boxed
- Care
- Empty ash when cold. Wash by hand; the glaze is fired, not a decal, so it will not lift.
Ships from Hangzhou in 2–5 business days. Delivery is typically 7–15 business days to the US and 8–16 to the EU, UK, Australia and New Zealand, customs permitting. Import duties and taxes are charged by your country's customs, not by us, and are payable on delivery. The United States ended its $800 duty-free exemption on 29 August 2025, so US orders now attract duty at every value. The EU introduces a flat €3 duty per item on goods below €150 from 1 July 2026. Shipping details.
Where it comes from
The flying apsara is a celestial figure in Buddhist mural painting, shown without wings and carried by trailing ribbons and scarves rather than by flight itself. The type entered Chinese decorative work through cave-temple painting and later moved onto portable objects. Press-moulding is the same technique used for roof tiles: clay is forced into a carved negative, so the relief comes from the mould and the hand only trims the seam.
Materials, honestly declared
Glazed ceramic
—
Standard shipping, no restricted materials.
This is a decorative and cultural object. We make no claim that it affects health, fortune or protection. Nothing here is medical advice.
Common questions
Possibly — import duties and taxes are collected by your local customs on delivery. Anything shown at checkout is an estimate, not a final charge.
We dispatch in 2–5 business days; transit is typically 7–15 business days to the US, 8–16 to the EU, UK, AU and NZ.
Send a photo within 7 days. We replace or refund it, and you keep the piece.
No. It is a decorative and cultural object. We sell objects, not outcomes.
Read the guideHow to choose an incense holder →