Incense burner with lid 1600 - 1700

Here we have an incense burner with a lid made by Jokei sometime between 1536 and 1636. Jokei was a Japanese sculptor whose life coincided with the end of the Muromachi period and the rise of the Edo period, a time of significant social and political change in Japan. Consider this small, intimate object as a window into the spiritual practices of the time. Incense burners were not merely functional items; they were central to rituals, especially in Buddhist ceremonies. The scent of burning incense was believed to purify the space and the mind, creating an atmosphere conducive to meditation and reflection. The cracks in the glaze, known as 'crazing,' are not imperfections but integral to its aesthetic. This reflects the Japanese concept of 'wabi-sabi', which values the beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and simplicity. This burner invites a reflection on our own imperfections and the beauty found in the passage of time.