Censers are used to burn incense. Whether shaped into a coil, molded onto a stick, or even left in powdered form, the incense is placed on top of or stuck into a bed of sand or ash in the vessel. Chinese incense is made by mixing fragrant woods (like sandalwood or camphor) and spices (like cloves or star anise) in powder form with resins (like frankincense) and essential oils (from flowers or herbs), then working and shaping the paste into a coil or around a thin stick of bamboo.