When choosing a general-purpose incense burner, factors such as purpose, material, shape, craftsmanship, and usage scenario should be considered comprehensively.
Incense burners are the most commonly used utensils for burning incense. They come in various shapes, including Boshan burners, cylindrical burners, lotus burners, and tripod burners. Materials are diverse, including ceramic, copper, aluminum, stone, and wood. Copper burners have been popular since the Ming and Qing dynasties due to their heat resistance and varied shapes. Incense burners made of other materials often have heat-insulating sand placed at the bottom to prevent cracking from overheating.
Hand warmers: These can be held in the hand or carried for warmth and incense burning. They are mostly round or square, with openwork patterns on the surface, and are mostly made of brass or cupronickel.
Incense holders: Also known as long-handled hand warmers, these are used for Buddhist offerings. The handle is often decorated with lotus flowers or auspicious beasts. They are used to burn incense powder or incense balls and were already popular in the Tang Dynasty.
Incense tubes: These are used vertically to burn stick incense. They are mostly long, straight cylinders with openwork exteriors, and are made of materials such as bamboo, wood, jade, and ivory.
Horizontal Incense Burner: Incense sticks are lit horizontally, similar to an incense holder but in a different direction.
Incense Ball: Spherical in shape with a long chain. The ball is hollowed out and divided into upper and lower halves, containing several layers of smaller balls. No matter how it is rotated, the innermost incense cup remains horizontal, a design as ingenious as a modern gyroscope.
Incense Holder: A base for holding incense sticks, available in different heights, sizes, and numbers of holes.
Incense Tray: A flat tray for burning incense, usually made of wood or metal.
Incense Box: Used to hold incense; comes in various shapes and functions as both a container and an ornament.