This exquisite Takaoka Copperware (高岡銅器) censer, crafted in Japan’s famed 400-year-old foundry town, is a testament to generations of meticulous artistry. Cast in a compact yet substantial form — 15.3 × 15.3 × 17 cm, weighing around 1kg — it features a “Yamato-gata Shishigai” (大和型獅子蓋) lid with a regal lion perched atop, guarding the rising incense with dignified poise.
Finished in a rare “Tokuiro” (徳色) patina, this bronze koro reveals an elegant depth of color that only painstaking, time-honored techniques can achieve. Every detail, from the delicate lines of the lion to the subtle curves of the vessel, highlights the masterful skill of Takaoka’s artisans — whose works once dazzled at the 1862 London and 1867 Paris World Expositions, firmly establishing Japanese art bronzeware on the world stage.
Ideal for incense rituals or as a distinguished interior accent, this koro is not merely a vessel but a timeless heirloom, destined to grace and elevate spaces for generations to come.
