Ceramic Incense Burner / Hand-carved / HOKI Style

This is a one-of-a-kind incense burner that embodies a creative worldview.
This incense burner is inspired by African primitive art and ancient Jomon pottery from Japan. It expresses the strength of animals that inhabit the earth. It is a lovely piece not only as an incense burner but also as an ornament. When using it as an incense burner, you can use it without the lid on to prevent the burnt residue from sticking to the underside of the lid.

Width：12cm
Depth：16cm
Height：15cm
Weight：475g

Clay

STUDIO HOKI

"Transforming the powerful energy of humanity into works of art"

Looking at Jomon pottery created more than 10,000 years ago or primitive art from Africa, he feels an unmistakable strength that could only have come from human hands. He hopes to embody that energy in his own work and share it with those who encounter his pieces.

ARTISAN STORY

Masakazu Hoki / Pottery Studio HOKI
Working from a studio on a 430-meter-high mountaintop at the western edge of Kyoto, he is inspired by primitive art from Africa, Central and South America, and Central Asia. In recent years, alongside functional vessels, he has explored works expressing the powerful vitality of Japan's Jomon culture. His pieces have also attracted admirers from Israel and other parts of the Middle East.

ACHIEVEMENTS

・Received the Special Selection Award at the 35th Nitten Exhibition
・Selected at the Faenza International Ceramic Art Competition in Italy
・Received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the 17th NIKKOKAI Exhibition

KYO WARE & KIYOMIZU WARE

About 1,200 years ago / 800s / Heian Period (794–1185)

Kyoto ceramics reach back to kilns operating before and during the Heian period, then expanded with tea culture in the Muromachi and Momoyama eras. In the seventeenth century, Nonomura Ninsei perfected brilliant overglaze decoration, followed by innovators such as Ogata Kenzan, Okuda Eisen and Aoki Mokubei, whose diverse approaches shaped today’s Kyo and Kiyomizu ware.

In Japan, these ceramics are famous precisely because there is no single fixed style. Tea bowls, kaiseki dishes and everyday tableware may use overglaze painting, blue-and-white decoration, gold, sancai-inspired color and many other techniques. The craft sits at the heart of Kyoto’s culture of pairing vessels with cuisine and tea.

The surprising point is that Kyoto was never defined by a single major clay deposit. Potters drew on materials such as Amakusa porcelain stone, techniques arriving from other regions, and the tastes of artists and patrons gathered in the capital. Freedom from one local material helped make Kyoto ceramics unusually hybrid and stylistically diverse.

Individual Differences

As each piece is individually handcrafted, slight variations in color, pattern, shape, and texture may occur. These subtle differences are a natural characteristic of handcrafted works, making each piece truly unique. We hope you will enjoy these individual variations as part of the beauty and character of Japanese craftsmanship.

Production Time

If an item is not currently in stock, it may be made to order by the artisan. As each piece is carefully handcrafted, production may take several months depending on the item and the artisan's schedule. We appreciate your patience and understanding.