Takaoka Metalwork Pheasant Incense Burner

Takaoka Metalwork Pheasant Incense Burner

This incense burner takes the graceful form of a pheasant (kiji), a bird long admired in Japanese art and folklore for its striking plumage and its association with the arrival of spring. The bird's tail sweeps upward into a gentle curve, and the smoke of incense is meant to rise from within its body, giving the impression of a living creature quietly exhaling fragrance. The piece is available in four variations: a matte soil-toned color, a bronze patina, a brilliant gold, and a copper finish paired with a chrysanthemum-crest stand, each offering a different mood while sharing the same sculptural silhouette.

This piece is a product of Takaoka copperware (Takaoka Doki), a metal casting tradition centered in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, with a history of more than 400 years dating back to the early Edo period. Takaoka craftsmen are especially renowned for their skill in casting fine detail into iron and copper using traditional sand-mold and lost-wax techniques, followed by hand-finishing and coloring (chakushoku) to achieve the burner's distinctive surface tone. The soil, bronze, and gold finishes are cast in iron, valued for its weight and durability, while the chrysanthemum-crest variation is cast in copper and paired with a decorative stand bearing a chrysanthemum crest motif.

Design Variations

• Soil color — a matte, earth-toned iron finish with a compact silhouette (15 x 6 x 22cm)
• Bronze — a slightly larger iron form (18 x 7 x 23cm) with a warm bronze patina
• Gold — the same larger iron form finished in a brilliant gold tone
• With Chrysanthemum Crest (Copper) — a copper-cast version (15 x 6 x 22cm) presented on a decorative stand bearing a chrysanthemum crest motif

How to Use

Place a layer of incense ash in the body of the burner, then set a lit incense cone, stick, or piece of charcoal into the ash. The burner is designed for use with an ash bed rather than for burning directly on the metal surface. Always use on a heat-safe surface and keep away from flammable materials while in use.

Product Details

• Material: Cast iron (Soil color, Bronze, Gold); Cast copper (With Chrysanthemum Crest)
• Size: Soil color / With Chrysanthemum Crest: 15 x 6 x 22cm (5.91 x 2.36 x 8.66in); Bronze / Gold: 18 x 7 x 23cm (7.09 x 2.76 x 9.06in)
• Includes: Decorative gift box and stand (oval stand for iron finishes; chrysanthemum-crest stand for the copper finish)