This large incense-stick holder is modelled as a Buddhist lion sitting on a rectangular base. Similar pieces have been identified as 'temple lions' with inscriptions on their bases referring to their use as offerings. They also would have been used at household altars. It is thought that the single holder was the use of incense to mark time from the name 'shi chen xiang' literally meaning 'time incense'. They were also exported possibly as decorative items for European homes.Dehua, located on the southeast coast of Fujian province, is well known for its production of white porcelain, known to Europeans as 'blanc de Chine'. The earliest Dehua porcelain was produced as early as the 14th century but the production and quality of these porcelain peaked around the 17th and 18th centuries.
