*AN ISLAMIC BRONZE INCENSE BURNER. Ca. 9th century H.14,5 cm x L. 25 cm ; Diam. 10 cm Provenance Formerly, private collection A.K., Switzerland, collected prior 1971 Then by descent Estate of a European Ancient Dealer,, acquired in December 2011 Then by descent by succession With Domed Cover. Incense burners like this one were popularly used in the late antique and Byzantine eastern Mediterranean, and their production continued into the Islamic period. In Christian contexts, incense was used in church services, while in the Islamic world it seems to have been used by caliphs in their palaces and by elites in their homes. This three-legged incense burner with a low cylindrical body and a hinged, relatively high domed cover was a common type. The cover, pierced to emit smoke, is decorated with birds and vegetal designs; the handle with a ram head protome. For Swiss buyers, VAT applies to the hammer price and buyer's premium (only for the lots with the * mention)