Lance Carson
The incense clock is a timekeeping device that originated in China during the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) and spread to neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. Incense clocks were used to measure minutes, hours, or days by burning incense sticks or powdered incense that had been manufactured and calibrated to a known rate of combustion. The use of fire and incense for time measurement dates back to at least the 6th century CE and was especially linked to Buddhist worship. Incense clocks were commonly used in homes and temples and often featured bells and gongs that acted as strikers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | China |
| Date of Origin | 6th century CE |
| Other Regions | Japan, Korea, India, Tibet |
| Use | Timekeeping, religious purposes, social gatherings, medicine |
| Types | Stick, seal |
| Seal Preparation | A layer of damp white wood ash, stencils, incense powder |
| Stick Variations | Straight, spiral |
| Alarms | Weights, bells, gongs, metal balls |
| Time Measurement | Rate of combustion, stencils, compartments, markings, scent |
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What You'll Learn
The history of incense clocks
The incense clock, or "fragrance clock", is a timekeeping device that originated in China during the Song dynasty (960–1279) and spread to neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. However, the use of fire and smoke for time measurement in China dates back to at least the 6th century CE, as chronicled by the poet Yu Jianwu. American historian Edward Schafer speculates that incense clocks were derived from India, transmitted to China, although no incense clock has been found in India.
Incense clocks were commonly used in homes and temples in dynastic times, alongside water, mechanical, and candle clocks. The clocks were made from wooden or stone disks with one or more grooves etched into them, into which incense was placed. The incense was manufactured and calibrated to a known rate of combustion, used to measure minutes, hours, or days. The seal clocks used powdered incense, which was poured into a stencil and compacted to create a long trail of incense.
Incense clocks were also used to create alarms. For example, a dragon-shaped fire clock had a series of threads stretched across its body, with small metal balls attached. As the incense burned, the heat broke the threads, and the balls fell into a pan, creating a sound. Another method was to tie bells to a stick of incense, which would chime as the incense burned down.
Incense clocks were used for religious purposes, as well as at social gatherings, and were especially linked to Buddhist worship. They were also used by Chinese scholars and intellectuals, and in Japan, they were used in geisha houses to determine the fees for the geisha's services.
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How incense clocks measure time
The incense clock is a timekeeping device that originated in China during the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) and spread to neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. Incense clocks were commonly used in homes and temples, alongside water, mechanical, and candle clocks.
Incense clocks work by burning incense sticks or powdered incense that have been manufactured and calibrated to a known rate of combustion. The basic blueprint involves several trays, intricate labyrinth-designed stencils, a spatula or leveller tool, and a latticework lid to help keep the incense lit.
To set up an incense clock, a shallow layer of damp white wood ash is first laid down in a small container, flattened, and lightly compacted. A metal stencil is then placed on top, acting as a template for the incense path. The path is marked with the pointy end of a tiny shovel, and the groove is filled with a fine mixture of incense powder. The trail is then smoothed out so it burns at an even rate, and the metal template is lifted, leaving the incense seal ready to be lit.
The burning of the incense along a pre-measured path, with each stencil representing a different amount of time, is what measures the passing of time. The clocks may also contain bells or gongs that act as strikers to signify the passing of time. Sometimes, different aromatic plants were inserted along the trail as time markers, with a change in fragrance indicating the passing of time.
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The role of incense clocks in ancient societies
The incense clock, or "fragrance clock", is a timekeeping device that originated in China during the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE). However, some sources suggest that the use of fire and incense for time measurement dates back to the 6th century CE. Incense clocks were commonly used in homes and temples in dynastic times, and they played a significant role in ancient societies.
In ancient China, incense clocks were an integral part of daily life, with a wide range of applications. They were used for religious, ceremonial, and spiritual purposes, as well as for practical and medicinal reasons. Incense clocks were also popular at social gatherings and were used by scholars and intellectuals. The use of incense clocks extended beyond China, spreading to neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea.
The clocks themselves were intricate devices, often consisting of multiple trays, stencils, and tools for flattening and levelling incense powder. The incense used in these clocks was carefully calibrated to burn at a consistent rate, allowing for precise time measurement. The length of the incense trail was the primary factor in determining the duration of the clock, with some clocks lasting up to a month.
Incense clocks also incorporated auditory and visual cues to indicate the passage of time. Some clocks included bells and gongs that acted as strikers, while others featured threads with weights attached at specific intervals. As the incense burned and the threads heated up, the weights would drop onto a platter or gong, creating a sound to signify the passage of a set amount of time. Additionally, different scents could be used to mark the hours, providing a fragrant way to keep time.
In Japanese temples, hour markers were added along the incense trail, often in the form of bamboo pegs or hard-paste incense tablets. The change in fragrance as the incense burned served as a gentle reminder of the passing of time. The use of incense clocks in Japan was primarily associated with geisha houses and Buddhist temples, where the fees for geishas' performances were based on the number of incense sticks that had burned.
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The different types of incense clocks
The incense clock is a timekeeping device that originated in China during the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) and spread to neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. The use of fire and smoke for time measurement dates back to at least the 6th century CE, as chronicled by Chinese poet Yu Jianwu. Incense clocks were commonly used in homes and temples in dynastic times, alongside water, mechanical, and candle clocks.
The most common forms of incense clocks include the incense stick clock and the incense seal clock. Incense stick clocks use straight or spiralled incense sticks that have been calibrated to known burning rates. The spiralled incense sticks are longer and are hung from the roofs of homes and temples. Incense seal clocks, on the other hand, use powdered incense that is burned along a pre-measured path, with each stencil representing a different amount of time.
Incense stick clocks sometimes feature threads with weights attached at even intervals. As the incense burns, the heat breaks the threads, causing the weights to drop onto a platter or gong below, signifying that a set amount of time has passed. Different scents of incense can also be used to mark the hours. Incense seal clocks, also known as "hsiang yin" in Chinese, involve preparing a surface with a shallow layer of wood ash and using a metal stencil to create a template for the incense path. The path is then filled with a fine mixture of incense powder, which is lit to start the timekeeping process.
Incense clocks could also be used as alarm clocks. For example, a joss-stick with a bell attached could be used to time poetry meetings, with the bell ringing when the incense burned down to a certain point. A dragon-shaped fire clock is another example of an incense-based alarm clock, where the dragon's body forms an incense trough with threads and metal balls attached. As the incense burns, the heat breaks the threads, causing the metal balls to fall into a pan and create a sound.
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How to create an incense clock
The incense clock is a timekeeping device that originated in China during the Song dynasty (960–1279) and later spread to neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. Incense clocks were commonly used in homes and temples in dynastic times.
To create an incense clock, you will need incense sticks or powdered incense, a seal, a shallow container, and a flat surface. The seal can be made of wood or stone with one or more grooves etched into it, or you can use a metal stencil with a pattern. Here are the steps to create an incense clock:
- Prepare a shallow container with a fine layer of damp white wood ash. Flatten and lightly compact the ash.
- Place your seal or stencil on the ash. If using a seal, pour incense powder over it and use a tamper to lightly compact the powder. If using a stencil, use a tiny shovel to mark the path with the pointy end.
- Fill the groove or stencil with a fine mixture of incense powder. Ensure the trail is smooth so that it burns at an even rate.
- Remove the seal or stencil. Your incense seal clock is now ready to be lit.
Alternatively, you can create an incense-clock alarm by using an incense stick with a bell or weights attached. Tie a bell or string with a weight at the desired point on the incense stick. When the incense burns down to the string, the bell will fall, creating a sound. You can also suspend an incense spiral over a brass platter and tie small weights at certain points so that they fall onto the platter and create a sound as they burn down.
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Frequently asked questions
Incense clocks are timekeeping devices that originated in China during the Song dynasty (960–1279) and spread to neighbouring East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. They use incense sticks or powdered incense that have been manufactured and calibrated to a known rate of combustion to measure minutes, hours, or days.
The basic blueprint for an incense clock involves several trays, a few intricate labyrinth-designed stencils, a spatula or leveller tool, and a latticework lid to help keep the incense lit. First, the user sets up the incense clock by creating a pre-measured powdered incense trail using a stencil, with each stencil representing a different amount of time. The user then uses the leveller tool to flatten the incense and make it uniform, before lighting the incense to start the timekeeping.
The incense used in the clocks is typically made from a fine mixture of incense powder. The seal that the incense is placed on is often a wooden or stone disk with one or more grooves etched in it.
