Incense sticks are generally used in different Lamaistic rituals, and also burned before an icon and within a shrine and temples etc. The purpose of the incense burning is generally purification or to welcome someone.
The cover of the object is embossed with a syllables Om, Ma, Ni, Me, Hum, written in Lamtsa letters. Below this, there is a row of half vajras. Both the edge of the cover is decorated with dotted strips. A gem like stone has been set on the top of the center of the overturned lotus shaped cover. The mouth of the vessel has a row of similar half vajras in between the dotted strips, and after the strips there are two more rows of half vajras and in between, eight armed four standing Buddhist deities have been embossed around the vessel, in two rows. The space between the figures is filled by vajras. A gem like stone has been set on each (full) vajra. At the bottom, within the dotted strips again there is a row of half vajra.
References:
A.Waddell, Buddhism and Lamaism of Tibet, Delhi, 1978 (reprint)
R.Bear, The Encyclopedia of Tibetan symbols and motifs
B.Lipton and Nima D. Ragnus, Treasures of Tibetan Art, New York, 1996
This description by Dr. Shailendra Kumar Verma, Ph.D. His doctorate thesis being on the "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (from its inception to 8th century A.D).
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