Round incense container with flaming Buddhist jewels

Incense containers (kogo) are used to hold small chips of incense intended for special occasions such as tea ceremonies. The exterior of the lid of this container is decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay of flaming jewels symbolizing the importance of Buddhist teaching and an enlightened mind. According to Buddhist tradition, the flames around the jewels burn away desires and ignorance, giving way to enlightenment. The interior is embellished with gold lacquer and inlaid with pieces of lead representing boats and a floating bridge among waves.

A poem composed by Minamoto Hitoshi (880–951) from The Later Collection of Japanese Poetry (Gosen wakashu) is inscribed over the design. It reads:

On Azuma Road
Crossing the boat-bridge of Sano,
Crossing my mind
Thoughts that no one knows

Here, the characters for “boat-bridge” are eliminated because it is understood by the viewer that the image of boats and bridge represents the words themselves.