Chinese Gilt Bronze Incense Burner, Republic Period

• Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.
  
  For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.
  
  Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
• Republic Period - The Chinese Republic period, also known as the Republic of China period, lasted from 1912 to 1949. It began with the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and the establishment of the Republic of China under Sun Yat-sen. During this period, the country underwent significant political, social, and economic changes, including the adoption of a new constitution, the expansion of civil liberties, and the modernization of the economy. However, the Republic of China period was also marked by political instability, with numerous warlords and factions vying for power and influence, and the country was eventually engulfed in a civil war between the Nationalists and the Communists. The Republic of China period came to an end in 1949, when the Communists emerged victorious and established the People's Republic of China, while the Nationalists retreated to Taiwan where they established a separate government.
• Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.
  
  The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.
  
  It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• oriental objects - Chinese incense holders / burners 170