An exhibition of incense burners from ancient to modern times is running at the Daegu National Museum through March 3.

The exhibition “Incense Culture: From Desire to Taste” shows 372 Korean incense-related pieces from the Three Kingdoms period to the Joseon era -- spanning 57 BC to 1910 -- with three National Treasures and 10 Treasures on display.

“The exhibition looks at a variety of incense used for different purposes,” a museum official said, citing everyday use and special occasions like religious ceremonies.

“Incense was just as much a commodity as it was a luxury good,” the official added.

The highlight of the exhibition is the Baekje Gilt-bronze Incense Burner, a National Treasure made sometime between 600 and 700 in the Baekje Kingdom. The incense burner is recognized for its exceptional quality not only as a household item, but also as a work of art.

Depicted on the highly elaborate incense burner are 39 animals including a Chinese phoenix, dragon, tiger and deer. What sets this incense burner apart from a similar Chinese version is its creativity in depicting nature, from animals to plants and the landscape.

“The illustration of Buddhism, Taoism and other religious theology and beliefs on the burner is also something to think about,” the official noted.

Kim Kyu-dong, the Daegu National Museum director general, said the exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the everyday life during the Baekje period.

The Daegu National Museum’s last showing of the Baekje Gilt-bronze Incense Burner was in 1996.

“Museums aren’t just repositories of the past. They give you a picture of what the future holds,” Culture Minister Yu In-chon said Friday at the exhibition’s preopening ceremony.