Incense Container Incense Container with Plum Blossoms by Okada Gyōzan

Rarely does a kōgō have such an idiosyncratic silhouette: from a rounded triangle a slender peak rises at the center, crowning the lid like a small mountain. Painted on it is an ema, one of those wooden votive tablets hung at shrines in Japan, with a tiny pale horse in its field.

A plum branch runs around the form, continuing across the seam between lid and base. Red blossoms with golden stamens alternate with white ones that are only finely outlined, with buds and blue-green dabs in between. The cream-colored glaze has a fine crackle and looks as warm as old ivory. As a vessel for the tea ceremony, the container holds nerikō, kneaded incense made from ground fragrant materials; the plum blossom links it to the start of the year and the first mild weeks.

Inside, the container is glazed a plain creamy white, and the underside bears an impressed stamp. The wooden box shows an inscription, signature and a large red stamp; according to the information on the piece, Okada Gyōzan is its maker. The handmade container dates from the Shōwa period, measures 5.5 × 6 cm and weighs 60 g. A yellow cloth comes with it.