Japanese Bizen stoneware incense burner in the shape of a tanuki, 19th century

This Japanese incense burner (kōro) in Bizen stoneware is sculpted in the round in the form of a tanuki , treated as a solid, compact, almost spherical volume. The head is clearly defined in relief, while the front paws are indicated only by a slight modeling , barely detached from the body, which reinforces the sense of mass and the sculptural strength of the piece.

The shape is directly inspired by an antique bronze kettle : the sides feature simulated rings applied in relief, and the surface is enlivened by a network of incisions reminiscent of assembly or banding lines. This interplay between ceramic and bronze, common in Japanese decorative art, highlights the raw material and the depth of the firing effects characteristic of Bizen.

Perforated lid and cooking effects

The round , perfectly fitted lid is pierced with small holes for the diffusion of incense smoke. A small rim in the center forms a discreet handle. Firing in a natural atmosphere has resulted in a nuanced brown patina , alternating between darker areas and slightly lustrous patches, characteristic of unglazed Bizen ceramics .

Inscription and origin: Bizen, Okayama

Under the base is an incised inscription indicating the origin: “備前” (Bizen) and “岡山” (Okayama) .

History of Japanese stoneware incense burners from Bizen

In the 19th century , incense burners held an essential place in Japanese culture, both in the domestic sphere and in Buddhist contexts, as well as in more refined practices related to the appreciation of perfumes. The workshops of Bizen, renowned for centuries for their unglazed stoneware, developed a repertoire of figurative pieces in which the animal became both a decorative motif and a symbolic support.

The tanuki , associated in the Japanese imagination with luck and abundance, naturally fits into this vocabulary. Here, it is treated with a restraint of means and a mastery of firing that gives the piece its full character: an object that is both sculptural and functional, emblematic of the aesthetics of 19th-century Japanese art .

Dimensions

Width: approx. 15 cm | Depth: approx. 16 cm | Height: approx. 12.5 cm