What Is Xiangzhuan, a Chinese Incense Seal?

Xiangzhuan (香篆), also called yinxiang (印香), uses a pierced mould to arrange incense powder on a bed of ash. A Guangzhou district cultural workshop describes pressing the powder into a connected character or motif, lifting the mould, and lighting one end. The ember then follows the powder line. The practice is about the relationship between a pattern and a slow burn, not about burning a metal stencil.

A Shanghai district course description likewise shows the powder laid on ash as connected writing or a design. The two modern teaching accounts explain the basic method, but they do not establish that every old incense seal had the same pattern, ingredients or ceremonial role. A seal's visual appeal does not tell you the composition of its powder.

This remains a live ember on a heat-resistant surface. Use a purpose-made burner and the powder maker's directions, keep it away from flammable objects, and stay present until it is fully extinguished. For the broader differences between powder, sticks and coils, see the site's guide to incense forms.