Kondo Takahiro (Japanese, born 1958). <em>Incense Burner with Silver Cover</em>, 2001. Porcelain with cobalt glaze and overglaze decoration, 3 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 2 3/8 in. (9.5 x 14.6 x 6.0 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchase gift of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Dickes, 2001.30a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2001.30a-b_SL3.jpg)

Kondo Takahiro (Japanese, born 1958). Incense Burner with Silver Cover, 2001. Porcelain with cobalt glaze and overglaze decoration, 3 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 2 3/8 in. (9.5 x 14.6 x 6.0 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchase gift of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Dickes, 2001.30a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2001.30a-b_SL3.jpg)

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Why are the slots all different sizes? What type of incense would they use?

I think it is just an aesthetic choice, different sized holes would create different shapes of smoke and perhaps offer a more beautiful smoky composition

I believe you could burn whatever kind of brick incense strikes your fancy.

Can you tell us what this is?

This box is a very beautiful incense burner. The rectangle with slots in the top is the lid. Burning incense would be placed inside and smoke would rise through the slots.

Made in 2001, this incense burner represents a modernist interpretation of traditional materials and objects. It's made of the same kind of porcelain as many of the blue-and-white ceramics you see nearby and is colored with cobalt as well.

What’s the “overglaze” decoration on this incense burner, please?

The overglaze is actually one of the artist's signature techniques, the "silver mist" glaze, also known as "gintekisai." This technique uses metals to create droplets of different sizes on the surface of porcelain work.

The metals used are an amalgam of silver, gold, and platinum. He first glazes the work with the blue cobalt you see here and then overglazes with these metals, which bead on the surface as you see here.

Hi! My name is Siena. I was wondering how the incense would be inserted in this burner. Through the slots or does it use cones instead of sticks?

That whole piece on the top, with the slots, is actually a cover that could be removed. This type of burner likely uses bricks or cones that would be lit once inside. The smoke would escape through the vented top.

That's cool! Thanks!

Incense Burner with Silver Cover

Kondo Takahiro

Asian Art

ARTIST Kondo Takahiro, Japanese, born 1958

MEDIUM Porcelain with cobalt glaze and overglaze decoration

Place Made: Kyoto, Japan

DATES 2001

PERIOD Heisei Period

DIMENSIONS 3 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 2 3/8 in. (9.5 x 14.6 x 6.0 cm) (show scale)

SIGNATURE Signed on base in English: "Kondo"

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 2001.30a-b

CREDIT LINE Purchase gift of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Dickes

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Rectangular molded porcelain vessel on four raised feet with random squares impressed design. Interior fired black slip. Exterior covered with cobalt blue glaze and overall meandering pattern of raised silver glazed dots. Silver reticulated lid. Object arrived with its own wood box, inscribed on interior lid by the artist. Yellow cotton cloth wrapper for box interior. Condition: Excellent, intact

EXHIBITIONS

Infinite Blue

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Kondo Takahiro (Japanese, born 1958). Incense Burner with Silver Cover, 2001. Porcelain with cobalt glaze and overglaze decoration, 3 3/4 x 5 3/4 x 2 3/8 in. (9.5 x 14.6 x 6.0 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchase gift of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Dickes, 2001.30a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2001.30a-b_SL3.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 2001.30a-b_SL3.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2022

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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