Konya Arkeoloji Müzesi’nde Bulunan Bizans Dönemi Bronz Buhurdanlar / Byzantine Bronze Censers in the Konya Archeological Museum

Abstract

The subject of our study is the bronze censers in the Konya Archaeological Museum and dated to the Byzantine (East Roman) Period. The censer, in which incense is burned and used in religious ceremonies and daily life, has a special place in the Christianity. According to Christianity, incense rising to the sky symbolizes the prayers of the worshipers reaching God. From the Early Byzantine Period to the Late Byzantine Period, it is known through written sources, descriptions and surviving examples that censer was used in church rites, funerals or important events affecting the society. There are eleven bronze censers included in the Konya Archaeological Museum collection through purchase and confiscation. These censers are similar to the Byzantine Period censers found in museums and collections in Turkey and abroad, in terms of form, material, technique and decoration. However, none of these censers in the museum collection have a distinctive religious subject, symbol or figure. In this period, there is no definite data on the difference in the use of decorated and undecorated censers in religious and daily life. Therefore, censers can be liturgical items used in Byzantine religious ceremonies or items used in daily life. The censers discussed in the study were examined according to their form, technique and ornamental features, and were dated by comparing them with the examples found in museum collections in Turkey and abroad. Our study is important in terms of defining the censers in the Konya Archeological Museum collection in detail for the first time and adding new findings to the rich examples of Byzantine metalwork.

Keywords

• censer
• incense
• byzantine
• liturgical ware
• metalwork
• konya archaeological museum