Incensario (Ritual Censer)

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The following description originates from the Vincent Price Art Museum (http://vincentpriceartmuseum.org/) Ceramic Veracruz, Gulf Coast, Mexico Gift of Daniel Melnick VPAM Permanent Collection 1999.0001.0001 "The incense burner, like this large seated figure from Veracruz, played a crucial role in the daily lives and sacred rituals of Pre-Columbian civilizations across Mesoamerica. Also known as an incensario, the incense burner was used to burn copal, an aromatic tree sap, and other herbs or resins as offerings to their divine pantheon. The smoke from the incense burner was believed to awaken the gods and served as a vehicle for communication with the gods in shamanistic rituals. The figure's cone-shaped cap and the snake fangs emerging from its wide mouth suggest that this example is likely the god Quetzalcoatl, the Toltec/Aztec feathered serpent. Incense burners of this size were often placed inside the tomb of an important figure or by the entrance or interior of a temple."