Altar bronzeware
Vietnamese altar sets, censers and incense bowls — cast, not pressed
The five-piece ngu su set is the piece of our catalogue no factory outside Vietnam gets quite right: the proportion between censer, cranes and candlesticks is what a Vietnamese customer checks first, and it is the reason diaspora shops import rather than buy locally.
- Sizes
- Censers 40–70 cm
- Set weight
- Size 65 ≈ 36 kg
- Wall
- 5 mm · 8 mm at load points
- Finish
- Antique · reinforced patina · polished
- Lead time
- 21–30 days for custom work
Photographed in our showrooms
What this line looks like
Six sets from stock. Every form below is cast in any of our eight finishes — choose the pattern first, then the colour.
What is in the set
The five pieces, and the small items that sell beside them
| Piece | Vietnamese | Typical sizes | Notes for buyers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Censer | dinh | 40–70 cm | The anchor of the set; trade size names the pattern, not the measured height |
| Cranes on tortoises, pair | hac | +5–7 cm vs censer | Tall and slender — the piece most often damaged in transit if packed badly |
| Candlesticks, pair | chan nen | −12–15 cm vs censer | Also sold separately to customers replacing a broken pair |
| Incense bowl | bat huong | from 14 cm | Volume item; repeat purchase, low freight weight per piece |
| Water cups, offering tray | ngai chen, mam bong | assorted | Fills a carton economically and raises the value of a shelf |
Why proportion matters
A set that is 3 cm wrong still sells; a set out of proportion sits on the shelf
Buyers new to this category sometimes order pieces individually on price and assemble a set at the destination. It rarely works. Within one set the cranes should stand 5–7 cm taller than the censer and the candlesticks 12–15 cm shorter; get that wrong and a customer who has had an altar in the house all their life will notice from the doorway, even though no single piece is faulty.
We match sets before packing and mark the cartons so they stay together through the warehouse. If you are splitting a set across cartons for weight reasons, tell us and we will number them.
Buyers
Who imports this line
- Diaspora altar and worship shops in the United States, Canada and Australia — usually a few dozen pieces at a time, two or three sizes, restocked through the year.
- Buddhist supply wholesalers selling to temples: censers, incense bowls, candlesticks in quantity, and the occasional large commissioned piece.
- Asian grocery and gift chains adding a small altar section — start with one size and the companion items rather than the full range.
- Temples ordering directly for a new hall, where the set is specified by a committee and the lead time matters more than the price.
Mixed first orders are normal and we encourage them: one container of a single size tells you nothing about what your customers want.
Before you enquire
Samples, minimums and timing on this line
- Sample first
- Catalogue sample from stock, or one piece cast to your drawingThe sample cost is credited against your first production order.
- Minimum order
- Set by order value, not by pieceMix sizes and finishes on one pallet; send your list and we say whether it clears the minimum.
- Lead time
- 21–30 days casting after drawing approvalStock sizes sooner; gilding, inlay and enamel add finishing days we quote separately.
- What you get back
- Unit price EXW and FOB Hai Phong, weights, carton sizesQuotation within two working days of a complete enquiry.
Request a quote on this line Ask on WhatsApp What to send for a quote
Questions on this line
Before you order
Can you supply a set larger than 70 cm?
Yes, by commission. Above that size the piece is cast in sections and assembled, the lead time lengthens, and crating rather than cartoning becomes compulsory. Send the hall dimensions and we will advise a scale.
Do the cranes survive sea freight?
They do when they are crated properly: legs and necks are the weak points, so tall cranes travel in wooden crates with foam collars rather than loose in a carton. If a crane arrives damaged, photograph it with the crate and we re-cast it.
Can we order candlesticks or bowls on their own?
Yes. Replacement candlesticks and incense bowls are steady sellers for shops that already carry sets, and they ship well because the weight per piece is low.