Berber Temple Incense Holder

Smoke first. Prayer after, or perhaps together.

In the Berber regions of North Africa, burning incense has long accompanied prayer and ceremony. This incense holder was made in Morocco in the early 20th century. A shallow brass dish with a wide rolled rim sits on a turned baluster stem above a domed, stepped base. A short collar takes a smooth wooden handle in deep reddish-brown, so the burner could be carried while lit.

The brass is warm gold, softly worn and darkened inside the bowl from use. Nine and a half inches long. Modest, balanced, and entirely sure of itself.