{"product_id":"backflow-incense-burner-dragon-over-buddha213","title":"Backflow Incense Burner - Dragon Over Buddha - Glazed Ceramic 409g","description":"\u003ch4\u003eWhat This Piece Is\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA glazed ceramic backflow incense burner with a dragon coiled above a Buddha head. With a backflow cone lit on top, the smoke travels down through the design, drifts over the Buddha's face and pools around the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 409g it has real weight for its size, which matters with a burner because a light piece can be knocked while a cone is burning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow the Cascade Works\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBackflow cones have a hollow channel running down the centre. As the cone burns, the smoke is drawn down that channel instead of rising, and because cooled smoke is denser than the surrounding air it falls rather than lifts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is the whole trick. It is not a mechanism inside the burner and there is nothing to power or maintain. It only works with backflow cones, and ordinary incense cones or sticks will simply smoke upward as normal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eGlazed Ceramic \u0026amp; Finish\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCeramic with a fired glaze rather than resin with applied colour, which is the more durable of the two. A fired glaze will not chip away at the edges or thin where handled, and it wipes clean without dulling.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe palette is deep charcoal with blue and green highlights picking out the dragon and the Buddha head. That is a cooler scheme than most burners in this category, which tend toward warm bronze tones.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eThe Dragon in East Asian Tradition\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dragon in Chinese tradition is an auspicious figure associated with water, rain and imperial authority, which is a considerably different reading from the European dragon as a threat to be defeated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlacing one above a Buddha head is a decorative composition rather than a traditional pairing, and it is worth knowing that the two figures come from different traditions rather than a single one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhere to Put It\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomewhere still. A draught is the single thing that ruins the effect, because moving air disperses the falling smoke before it can pool. Away from doors, open windows, radiators and anything with a fan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt also reads best at or slightly below eye level when seated, since the cascade is a vertical effect and you want to watch it fall rather than look down on it. A low shelf or a coffee table works better than a high shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eUsing It Safely\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlways use it on a heatproof mat and on a flat, stable surface. Backflow smoke carries residue that can mark varnished, painted or polished surfaces over time, which is the one genuine drawback of this style of burner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBurn one cone at a time, never leave it unattended while lit, and keep it out of reach of children. Let the piece cool fully before moving it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Root \u0026 Still","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58566444876040,"sku":"backf-81","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1037\/7861\/5560\/files\/bG9jYWw6Ly9tZWRpYS8xUC9FRC82MFIzMEMxSjY4UzNFRDFQL2ExZDRhZGM0LmpwZw.jpg?v=1788006216","url":"https:\/\/rootandstill.com\/products\/backflow-incense-burner-dragon-over-buddha213","provider":"Root \u0026 Still","version":"1.0","type":"link"}