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The Art of Scent

Asian Art in London
4-14 November 2010

The study of art history necessarily emphasises the material at the expense of the immaterial. In China, this has resulted in the neglect of many significant aspects of her ancient culture, such as music and dance. Scent, the subject of this autumn’s exhibition, is also an area that has hardly been studied, in spite of its numerous references in historical texts and literature.

The character xiang (香) has its prototype in oracle bone inscriptions more than 4000 years old and denotes a pleasant smell, referring specifically to the sweet smell of rice stalks with its associations of a bountiful harvest. Another character found on oracle bones, the prototype to the modern character zi (紫), is drawn as a man holding burning wood stalks. This is defined in the Shuowen jiezi as ‘burning wood in sacrifice to heaven’. As far back as the Neolithic times, the smell from dried mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), which the ancients used to start fire, was supposed to have medicinal as well as purifying properties. Thus from the earliest records it can be seen that scent was used in China for worship, medicine and pleasure.

Exhibition catalogue:

• Introduction

1. A Rock Crystal Circular Box and Cover
   
   
2. A Bronze Censer, Boshanlu
   
   
3. A Gilt-Bronze Hand-Held Censer, Queweilu
   
   
4. A White-Glazed Circular Oil Box and Cover
   
   
5. Luohan and Incense Wood
   
   
6. A White-Glazed Lion-Form Censer and Cover
   
   
7. A Cylindrical Tripod Stone Censer and Cover
   
   
8. A Large Bronze Tripod Censer
   
   
9. A Celadon and Grey Jade Censer, Gui
   
   
10. A Bronze Incense-Stick Holder
    
    
11. A Blue and White Cylindrical Tripod Censer
    
    
12. A Carved Bamboo Parfumier
    
    
13. An Oblong Copper Hand Warmer
    
    
14. A Bronze Tripod Censer
    
    
15. A Bronze Foliate-Form Tripod Censer
    
    
16. A Cylindrical Bronze Censer and Stand
    
    
17. An Ivory Tool Vase
    
    
18. A Blue and White Cylindrical Tripod Censer
    
    
19. An Archaistic Bronze Censer, Zun
    
    
20. A Bulbous Blue and White Censer
    
    
21. A Wood Tool Vase
    
    
22. A Gilt-Splashed Bronze Censer, Gui
    
    
23. A Naturally Formed Section of Penglaixiang
    
    
24. A Bronze Tripod Censer
    
    
25. A Sandal Wood Pillow
    
    
26. A Guan-Type-Glazed Tripod Censer
    
    
27. An Aubergine-Glazed Tripod Censer
    
    
28. A Baitong Hand Warmer
    
    
29. A Gilt-Copper Circular Incense Box and Cover
    
    
30. A Circular Carved Cinnabar Lacquer Box and Cover
    
    

• The Chronology of China