This cylindrical open-work incense burner with three paw feet and a turned wooden handle was produced by Tula master smiths in the late 18th century. Burners for aromatic resins were in vogue in Europe during the late 17th and 18th centuries. The walls of this exquisite piece are reminiscent of the patterns of grilles that Tula craftsmen were noted for producing with especial artistry. It was Tula smiths, long famous for their skill in wrought-iron, who were commissioned to produce the railings for the palaces and gardens of Moscow and St Petersburg. Between 1773 and 1777, for example, the elements of the celebrated railing of the Summer Garden in St Petersburg were produced at the Tula factory. As soon as it was assembled the railing became one of the sights of the then Russian capital.