Seihakuji Incense Burner for Koh Do Ceremony

This incense burner has been produced following Arita porcelaintechniques, a 400-year-old tradition. It is used exclusively during the Koh Do ceremony, also called the way of incense.

Koh Do, the incense ceremony
The art of incense Koh Do is a ceremony in which participants develop their sensibility by "listening to" aromatic woods. In a quiet room, they smell the fragrances of selected woods following a specific etiquette. Away from the bustle of daily life, the mind becomes peaceful and focusses inwards. As it happens with the floral art of Ikebana, the tea ceremony or any martial arts, the mastery of Koh Do elevates the spirit and take us to a sacred dimension. It is an aesthetic and spiritual experience, a stroll of the soul in a world of elegant simplicity.
Fragrant woods refers to kyara (also called agarwood or jinkoh) and to byakudan (the world-known sandalwood). During the ceremony, the small pieces of wood that are used are not burnt, they are just heated in order to give off their perfume. Each one is unique and has a specific fragrance that delights the senses.

About Arita porcelain
The town of Arita, Saga prefecture in Japan, is the cradle of Japanese porcelain. At the beginning of the XVIIth century, a Korean artisan named Ri Sampei settled in the area. Thanks to his mastery of high temperatures ovens and to the proximity of kaolin deposits, Ri Sampei was able to make porcelain with a quality similar to the one of the Chinese, putting an end to a seven centuries monopoly. Arita porcelain was very popular in the XVIIIth century when it got widely exported to Europe, contributing to the prosperity of Saga region.