  About the Artwork
  
  
  Imagine this peacock animated by fragrant smoke wafting through the openings in its back, neck, and beak. Made to contain incense in its hollow body, it would have delighted the nose as much as its elegant plumage and finely engraved feathers enchant the eye.

 

Most likely produced for a sultanate court in the Deccan region of southern India, this incense burner may have been displayed in a palace room or courtyard. For people in the Deccan sultanates, the scents emerging from this charming sculpture were not only enjoyable — they were believed to nourish the mind, body, and soul. According to esoteric sciences practiced by some members of the courtly elite, pleasant fragrances could also affect supernatural beings, driving away evil spirits or attracting good ones. 

 

Cast in two parts that bisect the bird just below its outstretched wings and with a hinge below the tail to facilitate opening, the burner is marked by soot deposits that attest to its history of use. A curved handle connected to a stand was once likely attached to the back, just below the hinge, to provide stability.
  
  
  Title
  Peacock-shaped Incense Burner
  
  
  Artwork Date
  late 15th - mid 16th century
  
  Artist
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  Life Dates
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  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
  Indian
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
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  Medium
  Brass
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall: 11 3/4 × 7 3/4 × 7 1/2 inches (29.8 × 19.7 × 19.1 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Metalwork
  
  
  Department
  Islamic Art
  
  
  Credit
  Museum Purchase, Ernest and Rosemarie Kanzler Foundation Fund
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum’s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems—no longer assigned—that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  2022.1
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
