Tail for a Feline Incense Burner, 1150-1200. Iran, Khurasan, Seljuq period of Iran (1037-1194). Copper alloy, cast, engraved, chased, and pierced; overall: 36 cm (14 3/16 in.). In Iran during the 1000s and 1100s, vessels in the shape of animals gained popularity, especially as incense burners. Felines were favored in Persian art and this piece may represent a caracal, a type of lynx. The head of the creature was cast separately and is removable to fill its body with hot coals and incense. Quranic verses on the neck and spine remind worshippers to set work aside, attend prayer, and then disperse to seek Gods bounty. The diffusion of perfumed smoke through the burners pierced palmette design may have served as a sensorial reminder of this teaching.