Censer

Anonymous
Limoges
13th century
Copper cast and engraved and champlevé enamelling
13.5 x 11.5 x 8.7 cm
From Sant Miquel in Sorerols (Osona)
MEV 4673, 5245

At the start of the Romanesque period the ecclesiastic tradition of burning incense in liturgical services gained in importance and highly elaborate censers were made accompanied by small containers, or incense boats, to keep the incense in. These forms of sumptuary manufacture generally fell into two groups: one completely spherical and another with the traditional circular pot and the lid in the form of a tower, both continuing with the system of chains to hang them coming together in a fastener at the top like a large articulated ring. Within a broad time frame, from the 12th century until the end of the 13th, the Museu Episcopal de Vic possesses an important collection of over thirty copper or bronze pieces, cast or sheet, decorated by engraving, chiselling, enamelling and gilding. Some show formal relationships with the manufacturing patterns of the Rhine and the Meuse, and others with the products of Limoges, in Aquitaine; however, despite the lack of studies in this area, we cannot rule out the possible Catalan manufacture of some of the pieces. Outstanding among them are those from Campdevànol, Puig-reig, Sorerols, Montclar and Covet.