  
  About the Artwork
  
  
  The form of this censer (swinging incense burner) resembles the Scandinavian architecture of its time. Tiered gables and a tall, pointed roof rise toward a cross-shaped pinnacle, recalling buildings like the famous wooden church built in Borgund, Norway around 1200. On the censer&acirc;&#128;&#153;s sides, angelic figures protectively spread their wings above small human forms. 
In medieval Christian liturgy, plumes of smoke rising from burning incense symbolized prayers ascending to heaven. Both functional and meaningful, this example would have emitted a richly spiced scent, while representing the collective devotions of worshippers and the church where it was used.
  
  
  Title
  Censer
  
  
  Artwork Date
  ca. 1200
  
  Artist
  ----------
  
  
  
  Life Dates
  ----------
  
  
  
  
  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.
  
  
  
  Scandinavian
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
  ----------
  
  
  Medium
  Bronze
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall: 10 &Atilde;&#151; 4 1/2 &Atilde;&#151; 4 1/2 inches (25.4 &Atilde;&#151; 11.4 &Atilde;&#151; 11.4 cm)
  Overall (height suspended from chain): 12 1/2 inches (31.8 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Metalwork
  
  
  Department
  European Sculpture and Dec Arts
  
  
  Credit
  Gift of Abris Silberman
  
  
  
  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&acirc;&#128;&#153;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&acirc;&#128;&#148;no longer assigned&acirc;&#128;&#148;that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  43.472
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
  
  
  
