The surface of the Kitachi devotional incense burner is decorated with delicate golden flowers and elegant arabesques. It is in the Shirochibu style, a technique developed during the Taishō era (1912–1926): small white dots are painted on the white background to create a special texture. In Japan, these beautiful incense burners are devotional objects, precious gifts and an essential element of home decoration. Fill your incense burner with rice ash so that you can stand the incense sticks in it. As they have no bamboo core, they then burn entirely without leaving a trace. About Kutani ceramics Since the middle of the 17th century, ceramics have been made in the town of Kutani, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. They are characterised on the one hand by motifs painted in gold, a material abundant in the region, and on the other by a technique of layering five colours in thick coats, called go-sai: red, yellow, green, purple and dark blue. The painted motifs are often bold depictions of nature. The style is always rich and luxurious.