焚香习俗在我国历史悠久，人们多用于祭祀、熏衣等，更有不少文人雅士喜欢在书房内焚上一炷香，颇有“红袖添香夜念书”的意境。早在汉代前，中国就泛起了陶、瓷、铜、铁、瓦为质料制成的香炉。两宋时，瓷香炉的制造获得了推广。

The custom of burning incense has a long history in our country. People often use it for sacrifice, smoking and so on. Many literati and scholars like to burn incense in their study, which has the artistic conception of "tea adds fragrance to study at night". As early as before the Han Dynasty, there were censers made of pottery, porcelain, copper, iron and tile in China. In the Song Dynasty, the manufacture of porcelain censers was popularized.

 

 

宣德三年，由工部吴邦佐正式开铸。他选用其时暹罗国（今泰国）的风磨铜，又配以金、银、铅、等金属，重复举行冶炼，工序重大。明代项元汴在《宣炉博论》中说“宣庙随敕工匠，炼毕十二，每斤得其精者才四两耳。”就这样，吴邦佐受命终炼就颜色、款识多样的成炉数千只，这就是名扬数百年，为后世所津津乐道的“宣德炉”。

 

 

In the third year of Xuande, Wu bangzuo, the Ministry of work, officially started casting. He used the wind mill copper of Siam (now Thailand) at that time, together with gold, silver, lead, and other metals, to carry out smelting repeatedly, with a significant process. Xiang yuanbian of the Ming Dynasty said in the "xuanlu Bo Lun" that "the craftsmen of Xuanmiao followed the imperial edict, and after 12 years of refining, only four or two ears were able to gain the essence of each jin." In this way, Wu bangzuo was ordered to refine thousands of furnaces with various colors and knowledge. This is the "Xuande furnace" that has been famous for hundreds of years and enjoyed by later generations.

 

 

明代炼铜工艺前进，在宣德年间开创了黄铜铸炉的先河。据纪录，明宣德年间，宣宗曾下令吕震等人参照《宣和博古图》诸书及内库中所藏柴、汝、官、哥、钧、定各窑烧制的款识典雅的器皿，绘成117种图谱。

In the Ming Dynasty, the copper smelting technology advanced, and the brass casting furnace was founded in Xuande. According to records, during the reign of Xuande in the Ming Dynasty, Xuanzong ordered LV Zhen and others to draw 117 kinds of maps by referring to the books of Xuanhe bogutou and the elegant vessels of firewood, Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun and Ding kilns in the inner library.

 

 

明代宣德年间是铜香炉制作的巅峰时期，所制造的宣德炉选料考究，做工精美，款式古朴典雅，当时就十分的珍贵。宣德炉的色彩丰富，它以紫红色为基调，有褐、青、绿、红、蓝、黄、白、金等数十种颜色。

Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty is the peak period of the production of copper censers. The materials of Xuande furnaces are exquisite, the workmanship is exquisite and the style is simple and elegant, which is very precious at that time. Xuande stove is rich in color. It takes purple red as the basic tone, and has dozens of colors, such as brown, green, green, red, blue, yellow, white, and gold.

 

 

炉的构造由炉耳、炉身、炉足三部分组成。炉耳有：象耳、狮耳、环耳等等，都成对置于炉身的两侧。炉壁厚重，拿在手上有一种沉甸甸的感觉；款识规范端庄，大多落于炉外底部。据记载：宣德炉仅在宣德三年铸造过一次，一共5000只，以后就封炉不铸了。由于宣德铜炉名冠天下，所以后世多有仿制，但是无论怎么仿，它的颜色、铜质都与真正的宣德炉相差甚远。

 

 

The structure of the furnace is composed of ear, body and foot. The furnace ears are: elephant ears, lion ears, ring ears, etc., which are placed on both sides of the furnace body in pairs. The furnace wall is thick and heavy, with a heavy feeling on the hand; the reception is standard and dignified, mostly at the bottom outside the furnace. According to records: Xuande furnace was cast only once in three years of Xuande, 5000 in total, and then it was closed. Because Xuande copper furnace is famous all over the world, there are many imitations in later generations, but no matter how they are imitated, its color and copper quality are far from the real Xuande furnace.

 

 

目前在市场能见到的，大多是清中期以后仿制的，这个象耳炉，特点是本身的个儿不是特别的大，但是看起来特别的精神。这个造型非常的古朴，炉给人看的那感觉，有点儿大家闺秀的感觉，比较沉稳；所以具有极高的收藏的价值与投资价值。

At present, most of what we can see in the market are imitations made after the middle of Qing Dynasty. This kind of ear stove is characterized by its small size but special spirit. This shape is very simple, the furnace gives people the feeling of being a little lady, which is relatively stable; therefore, it has a very high collection value and investment value.