Antique incense burner in hard stone and gilded bronze, Vienna around 1810

Luxurious little perfume burner in diorite and gilded bronze.
Rare model with a cylindrical shaft surrounded by gilded bronze acting as a reservoir for the fuel, on the edge rests a dolphin's head whose leafy tail ends in a winding act as a suspension.
A small basin meticulously circled in bronze has the function of collecting incense, it is suspended by three chains according to the system of ancient scales.

Beautiful gilding with a matt and shiny double patina.
Great quality of carving despite a miniature decor.
Superb lapidary work with a very bright polish and a very fine grain stone.

Perfect state of conservation.

Austrian work, Vienna Empire period around 1810.

Our opinion :

The height of refinement under the Empire, the incense burner became fashionable with the discovery of Roman or Vestal frescoes and other gods fueling the sacred fire with a pinch of incense.
The most beautiful models are in antique stone such as red porphyry or serpentine.
Our model is made of diorite, a tight-grained magmatic stone, resembling very fine granite but harder than steel and extremely difficult to work.
It is the mythical stone used by the Egyptians for their vases.
From the Egyptian campaign at the end of the 18th century, the greatest European scientists wondered how the Egyptians who did not know iron could have worked such hard stones.
This question is still unresolved today.

Our perfume burner because of its great fragility is of the most extreme rarity.
Alliance of the know-how of a great master lapidary and a great master bronzer, it was probably sponsored by the elite of the time.
The polish of the stone and the gilding that could be mistaken for gold will convince the most rigorous collectors.