Obsidian Stone Popoxcomitl~ Sculpted Ceremonial Incense Burner

Popoxcomitl~Incense Burner~Ritual~Ceremonial

The obsidian stone of this incense burner was found in the central region of Mexico. It is not imported from overseas. It was sculpted by Maestro Artesano Martinez (Artisan Master Martinez) who is a well respected, experienced, and talented artisan and artist specializing in Mesoamerican replicas and art.

Popoxcomitl (incense burner)
Popoxcomitl in Nahuatl, one of the native indigenous languages of Mexico, translates to “smoking vessel” in English or “sahumador” in Spanish, has been used for hundreds and possibly thousands of years in America. Popoxcomitl is mostly referred to in Spanish as “sahumador or copalero”. Sahumador refers to the action of smudging and copalero refers to the container of copal (resin used to burn for ceremonial purposes).
Throughout Mexico several popoxcomitl artifacts have been found. Some made of clay, stone, and volcanic rock. Popoxcomitl was and is one of the most important objects used in ceremonies. Ceremonies can be for not only purposes for purification and cleansing the energic body, but also for any other ceremony where prayer is said. It is believed that the smoke which emerges once fire contacts the copal resin, carries the prayer to the cosmos for it to be manifested.
Popoxcomitl were made in different forms with different designs and symbols on them.

Obsidian Stone
Obsidian stone was one of the most used stones in Mexico. It is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as a rock. When polished, it becomes highly sharp as glass. There is a variety of obsidian stone types and tones such as: golden sheen, red, green, rainbow, dark black, smoky among others. Prior to the arrival of the European, the people in Mexico utilized the obsidian stone for spiritual purposes such as rituals for meditation, protection, negativity neutralizer, and as mirrors to reflect their inner self. Obsidian stone was also used to make weapons due to its sharpness. There are variations on obsidian stone in Mexico: black, red, green, golden sheen, black with gray tones, and a rainbow colored obsidian stone called “manto huichol”.
Obsidian stone was placed in tombs with the deceased as a stone to protect them through their journey in the afterworld. Vessels and objects were carved out of obsidian were also placed as offerings in tombs.
This incense burner is a one-of-a-kind sculpture. It can be used for ceremonial purposes, rituals, or for décor. It has incrustation of abalone shell and a variation of jade stone called “parrot wing” due to its variations of colors. It is know to be a very rare type of jade stone. Special obsidian stone markings can be observed throughout the incense burner. This is natural to the stone. The base has two dents which serve to release some of the smoke that may be passing through the hole inside the incense burner. The hole inside the incense burner allows for the ashes to fall through so the inside of the incense burner does not get filled with ashes. A charcoal disc sits perfectly inside the incense burner.

The obsidian stone used to make all the sculptures offered in this shop was gathered in Mexico.

Measurements (approximate)
Height- 4 inches
Top Diameter- 3¼ inches
Top Opening Diameter- 3 inches
Depth-2 inches
Base Diameter-3 inches
Weight-1 lb 13oz

Note: any light scratches observed on the incensario are natural to the stone and appear when polishing the stone. No stone is perfect. No piece of art is perfect. No human is perfect… only perfect to the eye who appreciates it.