There are many types of censers, which are used for burning and smelling incense. The crafting of the Hoya, Incense burner’s inner container is also one of our responsibilities.

This photograph is of an Akoda censer, which is primarily used for Kodo, the Way of Incense. The body is made by hollowing out a mulberry tree. Recently it has been difficult to acquire mulberry trees, and thus the price is subject to sudden rise. Akoda is a type of gourd, and this censer’s name is derived from the similar shape it has to that gourd.

In metalwork, it is generally simple to form a shape that is cylindrical, relatively two dimensional, or straight. On the other hand, the more angles and curves there are to form, the more difficult it gets.

The metal fitting of this censer is one of the most complex things made in our studio. Not only is the outer shape divided into six, the fitting area of the Hoya lid of the inner container and the Otoshi inner container are also in the same shape and carefully formed so that the Hoya will fit perfectly in any direction. We used a fine silver sheet that is about 1 mm in thickness.