Chinese Incense Clock
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Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Buy this image as a print
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LicenseChinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock with one extra tray and maze
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Chinese incense clock, consists of 3 trays, 2 “maze” stencils, a latticework lid and a leveller, made by Ming Hsin, Chao, China.
This clock measures time by burning powdered incense along a pre-measured path, with each stencil representing a different amount of time. The design of the lid protects the incense from being extinguished by the air. Incense clocks have been present in China for over a millennium, used for recreational, religious and practical purposes. This incense clock features the Chinese “double happiness” character, shuāng xǐ, as part of the latticework. Shuāng xǐ is a character still frequently used in China, associated with love and marriage. The tray at the base of the clock would be used to store accessories for the clock such as a spatula or leveller. The length of incense sticks was standardised and the perfumes which could be incorporated within them enabled the user to keep time simply by using their sense of smell.
Look closer
Telling time through smellDetails
- Category:
- Time Measurement
- Object Number:
- 1952-184
- type:
- clocks
- taxonomy:
-
- measuring devices
- measuring devices
- timepieces
- furnishing and equipment
- measuring device - instrument
- timepiece
- credit:
- Mr. F. H. Nash
