Takaoka Metalwork Incense Burner

Takaoka Metalwork Incense Burner

This round-bodied (tama-do) incense burner is cast in copper, with its lid finished in maki-e — hand-applied Japanese lacquer artwork built up with fine metallic powders. Choose from a pair of plovers skimming over ocean waves, two cranes in flight, or a pine tree silhouetted against a rising sun, three motifs long favored in Japanese decorative art for the good fortune and harmony they represent.

Takaoka, in Toyama Prefecture, has been Japan's leading center of copper and bronze casting for over 400 years. This piece is cast by the artisan Koichi using traditional Takaoka techniques, with the lid's maki-e artwork added as a separate finishing step to give each design its fine, layered detail.

Design Variations

• Wave Plover — plovers in flight over rolling ocean waves, rendered in maki-e on the lid.
• Twin Cranes — a pair of cranes in flight, a traditional symbol of longevity and good fortune.
• Sunrise Pine — a pine tree set against a rising sun, a motif associated with New Year celebration and long life.

How to Use

Lift off the lid, add a layer of incense ash to the bowl, and set a cone or stick of incense in the ash. Light the incense and replace the lid; fragrant smoke will drift out through the lid's openings.

Product Details

• Material: Copper (all motifs), with hand-applied maki-e lacquer lid decoration
• Size: approx. 8 cm diameter x 9 cm height (approx. 3.15 x 3.54 in)
• Includes: Kiri wood storage box