お読みください / Please Read Before Purchase Important Notice Regarding Customs & Import Taxes (Effective July 1, 2026) From July 1, 2026, all parcels shipped from outside the EU to EU countries valued at €150 or under are subject to new customs regulations. What this means for you: A flat customs duty of €3 per item will be applied VAT will be calculated on the total of (item price + €3 duty) Your carrier may charge an additional handling fee (approx. €15) Example: For an item valued at €120: Customs duty: €3 / VAT (21%): €25.83 / Handling fee: ~€15 → Estimated additional cost: approx. €43 These charges are the responsibility of the buyer and are collected upon delivery. Please factor this into your bid before purchasing. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me before bidding. Thank you for your understanding. Shipping method — The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation. Item Description This remarkable antique Japanese incense burner (koro) takes the form of a yatate — the traditional portable writing implement used by Japanese literati, samurai, and travelers from the Edo period onward. The yatate typically consisted of a cylindrical tube (fude-zutsu) for carrying the writing brush and a small square or rectangular ink container (sumi-tsubo). Here, this familiar writing tool form has been ingeniously reimagined as a functional incense burner, a delightful convergence of literary culture and the refined appreciation of fragrance (kodo) that flourished among the Japanese educated classes. The body is cast in copper or brass, now displaying a deep, rich patina developed over many decades of age. The square lidded incense chamber — supported on three short legs in classical koro tradition — is adorned on all four exterior faces with detailed relief carvings featuring auspicious motifs: cloud scrollwork, geometric fretwork patterns (kikko and sayagata), and mythological figures, all rendered with confident craftsmanship. The hinged lid opens on a brass hinge fitting to reveal a darkened interior chamber bearing faint traces of past use. A loop handle ring is attached to the side of the chamber body, faithful to the yatate form. The long cylindrical tube, representing the brush holder of the original yatate form, is decorated along its length with additional relief botanical and figural carvings, and terminates in a distinctively sculpted animal-form finial — possibly a shishi (lion-dog) — with a curling body, adding to the visual richness of the piece. A small coin-shaped cap covers the tip of the tube. Objects that imaginatively merge the world of scholarship with the culture of incense appreciation are rare survivors, and this yatate-form koro represents a particularly inventive expression of Japanese metalwork artistry. It would make a compelling display piece in any collection of Japanese antiques, samurai-related objects, or metalwork. My Message / 私のメッセージ Thank you so much for taking a look at my items. I run a recycle shop in Japan and joined Catawiki because I want to share wonderful items filled with Japanese craftsmanship and history with the world. If you have any questions about an item, please feel free to message me at any time. With gratitude to everyone — ARIGATO. Shipping method — The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL or FedEx or EMS depend on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes Customs or delivery company in your country contact you for Customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure that you could answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it cost more double shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation. Size Height: 9 cm Width: 33.5 cm Depth: 8 cm Weight 548 g Condition The piece displays age-appropriate patina including verdigris, surface oxidation, and natural discoloration consistent with its antique status; no significant structural damage or losses are present. The interior of the incense chamber shows faint residue traces from past use, and the brass hinge on the lid remains functional. Artist Profile No signature, seal, or maker's mark is present on this piece. Catawiki出品項目 Type / 種類: Incense Burner (Koro) Title of Artwork: Rare Antique Japanese Yatate-Form Copper Incense Burner (Koro) with Relief Decoration Artist / 作家: Unknown Japanese Metal Craftsman (unsigned) Period / 時代: Edo–Meiji Period (estimated, 19th century) Origin / 産地: Japan Material / 素材: Copper or Brass (with brass hinge fitting) Technique / 技法: Cast and relief-carved metalwork Height: 9 cm Width: 33.5 cm Depth: 8 cm Weight: 548 g Condition: Good antique condition — age patina, verdigris, oxidation present; no major damage