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The sophistication of Schongauer's art is evident in the Censer. This life-size liturgical vessel, which was swung to dispense incense throughout the church during mass, appears to stand on a solid surface implied through thin horizontal stipples. With light shining from the upper right, the censer and its linked chains cast slight shadows. The delicate hatchings and cross-hatchings increase almost imperceptibly in density as the shadows darken.
Schongauer's Censer is a showpiece, a suggestive tour de force of engraving's capabilities. It was practical enough to serve as a model for contemporary goldsmiths. The engraving's aesthetic and stylistic merits also appealed to artists and the emerging ranks of print collectors.
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