A Tang dynasty spherical incense burner with fretwork. This burner has a gimbal that supports the bowl in which aromatics was placed, meaning that the bowl would stay level no matter how the outside sphere rolled. This type of burner was carried on the person.

In the presentation, Xin showed audiences the incense burners produced from China, Korea and Japan. Though Buddhist motifs were present in the designs of the burners produced from all three countries, they still differed from each other in terms of the styles and technologies used. "With basic information about the three countries, you can easily tell which burner was produced from which countries; as each of the country had their own characteristics and style", Xin noted. Taking the basic and foundational forms and styles, each country developed their own unique take on the censers. Incense receptacles made with Chrysanthemum patterns were most likely produced in Japan; the imperial seal of Japan was composed of the petals of Chrysanthemum, highlighting the significance of Chrysanthemum in the minds of the Japanese people. Censers with dragons or lotuses on the knob of the lid had a likelihood of originating from China, as dragon represented the emperors of China, whereas the spirit of Lotus flower served as a favored icon in Chinese society. Korean censers tended to have decorations of auspicious animals, the intention being to reveal the connections between Baekje and traditional Korea culture.

All in all, it can be seen that under the overarching theme of Buddhism, the three countries presented and developed their styles and characteristics in the production of incense receptacles. It highlights how the ideals of nobleness and propitiousness were sought for.

A reflection on aromatics during the Tang Dynasty

Without the valuable information provided by historical artifacts, there would be little trace of how the thoughts and beliefs of people in the past manifested themselves in the every day conduct of their lives. These Tang censers were a physical embodiment of the desires of the Chinese for fortune and immortality – desires that were not exclusive to the Chinese, but also felt by others in the ancient world.