Three-legged incense burner by Ogawa Bunsai

Width: 12.0cm x 12.0cm Height: 15.0cm

Three-legged incense burner
-Written by Bunsai Ogawa (6th generation)

This small incense burner has a fantastical appearance, as if it were a vessel for spirits quietly burning incense deep in the forest. The "Three-legged Incense Burner" by Ogawa Bunsai (Oki) VI features a delicate celadon glaze with a slight yellowish tint, featuring crazing, giving it a soft yet deep expression. The natural pools of glaze on the surface and the network of fine crazing give it the warmth of years of use, and evoke the feeling of the accumulation of time.

A distinctive feature of the piece are the three legs that support its base. While they have organic curves that resemble twisted clay, the overall balance is serene, giving it a light and delicate impression. The legs create distance from the space, creating space for the incense smoke to rise, further enhancing the incense burner's original role of "designing a space centered around incense."

The fire shed (lid) is decorated with irregularly cut-outs, creating a structure that appeals to both the visual and tactile senses, as if the wind is passing through as the incense rises. The incense smoke rising from the cutouts resonates with the overall shape of the work, bringing a gentle movement to the space.

Ogawa Bunsai's creative philosophy of "stillness and movement"

The sixth generation, Ogawa Bunsai, is the current head of Bunsai Kiln, which has been in business for over 150 years in Gojozaka, Kyoto. He pursues a variety of expressions, including emerald glazes, yakishime, and sculptural forms, while attempting to combine classical beauty with modern sensibilities.

The first generation, Ogawa Bunsai (Bunsuke), opened a kiln in Kaseyama in 1847, and continued his activities in Gojozaka since the Meiji era. The sixth generation, Oki, studied sculpture at graduate school before moving on to ceramics, and has built a unique worldview with his three-dimensional compositional ability and deep curiosity about glazes. In particular, he has pursued the color "green," which has consistently been at the core of his work as a symbol of harmony, a connection between people that transcends conflict.

The soft color of this incense burner can be said to be part of that "lineage of green."

Reconstructing space with incense burners

An incense burner is not simply a tool for burning incense. It is an entity that brings new meaning and sensation to a space. Incense is invisible and has no shape. However, the fragrance released through the incense burner quietly fills the space and gives people a sense of space.

This three-legged incense burner is designed to maximize this effect. The incense smoke rises from the openwork lid and flickers in the light, bringing rhythm to the space. By raising the incense burner from the ground by its legs, it exerts its presence as a "floating vessel" rather than a "vessel to be placed on."

The great appeal of this work is that it conveys in a visible form the changes in the air brought about by the fragrance.

Beautiful vessels that live with fragrance

In front of the Buddhist altar, in a study, or even in a corner of a modern living room... This incense burner blends naturally into a variety of spaces, whether Japanese or Western, bringing a sense of tranquility and breath to the space. By spending a moment of "fragrance" with this vessel during your daily life, you will experience a relaxation of the mind and a heightened sense of awareness.

A three-legged incense burner - a vessel for burning incense,
At the same time, it is a quiet artistic poem that "reconstructs" space and the mind.

The beauty of utility and spiritual tranquility passed down by the sixth generation Ogawa Bunsai still lives on here.
Please pick it up and enjoy the aroma.