Antique Polish Baroque Bronze Church Censer 17th-18th century Poland
Antique Polish Baroque (17th-18th century Poland) bronze church hanging incense burner censer-thurible. The censer thurible is of baluster form with a pierced domed top and surmounted by a patriarchal cross with a double cross-bar. It is made of several elements: a domed top, bowl, a round conical base, and are cast separately and turned from a solid piece of bronze. The round conical base is fastened to the bowl by the handmade bronze screw from the antique's period time. The domed top is hand pierced with various patterns. The patriarchal cross is handmade from a single piece of bronze and is bolted to the top with a bolt.
With its original suspension chains, the links are of an unusual form made of double wire. Each link is handmade and finely soldered. The copper chains finial has a brass loop and is a later 19th-century addition made from a 19th-century coffee pot ewer from the Fraget manufacture and stamped underneath with Polish inscription within the oval cartouche "FRAGET W WARSZAWIE" (FRAGET IN WARSAW). Below the oval cartouche is another Polish inscription "PLATER" ("PLATE"), put in a rectangular frame. Inside the small oval is the coat of arms of the coppersmiths and bronzesmiths corporation (two crossed hammers with a pair of compasses).
CONDITION: Has signs of age and usage with a lovely old patina, some minor damage in the pierced pattern and the rim of the base has slight dents and nicks. The cross bolt is fastened to the cross at the top but is loosened from its use. The cross in the past during its use was fastened by soldering, and the bolt inside was secured by iron wire.
MEASUREMENTS:
Height of the thurible including cross: 33.5 cm (13 3/16 inches)
Overall length including a chain with the loop: 96 cm (37 51/64)
Weight: 1.188 kg (2 lb 9.91 oz)