Takaoka Metalwork Sansui Incense Burner

Takaoka Metalwork Sansui Incense Burner

The body of this incense burner is decorated with a sansui (mountains-and-water) landscape, a classic subject in East Asian art depicting mist-wrapped peaks and flowing water. The scene is rendered in fine relief around the rounded form, evoking the quiet, contemplative mood of a traditional ink landscape painting.

This piece is a work of Takaoka copperware (Takaoka douki), a metal-casting craft from Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, with a history of more than 400 years dating back to the early Edo period. Local artisans use traditional sand-mold casting to shape the copper form, then apply hand engraving and the "kode-iro" aged-patina finish that gives the surface its soft, antique tone. This example was crafted by the Takaoka artisan Yoshichika.

How to Use

Fill the bowl partway with incense ash, then place a lit incense cone, cored charcoal, or an incense stick into the ash. The metal body helps diffuse the fragrance evenly through the room, and the piece also makes an elegant display object even when not in use.

Product Details

Material: Copper, "kode-iro" aged-patina finish
Size: 9.5 cm diameter x 12.9 cm height (3.74 x 5.08 in)
Includes: Paulownia wood box