The Destiny of Things: Incense Burners, Story VII

The Destiny of Things:  Incense Burners, Story VII

I had a small collection of incense burners.  If you would have asked me, how many I owned, I would have answered, one to three, but I have or had over eight at last count!  And most of my favorite ones where planters and small knick knack bowls!  If I include all the planters, bowls and desk organizers I've used as incense burners the amount would be excessive!

This etched copper incense burner was my favorite because of the cherry blossom air hole design and the etched scene of a bird flying over cherry blossoms.

For the Japanese, an incense holder is a sign of relaxation.  I used aromatherapy daily.  Different incense can take me to certain people and places, even to somewhere new or bring me back to long forgotten memories.

This incense burner is the most versatile one.  It burned stick, cone or charcoal incense.

The cherry blossom incense burner was the second one to sell and was difficult to say good-bye.

The purple stick in the above picture is Daigen-Koh Rosewood incense and smells most like the one I have from my Grandmother.  I use hers sparingly on special occasions or in times of comfort from deep sympathy.


 A few more from my collection.

This vegetable shaped incense burner is mainly for burning cone incense.

I love it's turnip shape and wanted to collect more of them.  I've seen an eggplant and tomato.  It is still available here.

I use cone type incense from REI and it smells of forest of pines, cedar and redwood.  It takes me to peaceful and quiet woods and memories of camping.

This was the first incense burner to sell.  It's for the old style charcoal incense. I bought from a Japanese store in J-town because it reminded me of my Grandmother's Butsudan. It came in a wooden storage box just like hers. I love the peaceful nostalgic smell from charcoal incense burners, especially when I visited my Grandmother's church, however I could never figure out how to use the charcoal ash incense, so this was used only a couple times and I still kept it all these years.



In ancient times, these were ko-bon, a Japanese incense tray and were popular as a sign of relaxation. Later they were converted into tabako boxes. The larger circular copper area was used to hold the coal and ashes to relight the kiseru or pipe and the bamboo holder was used to place the ashes.

As you can see, I didn't use this as a ko-bon or a tabako box, but as a desk organizer.  I need to add desk organizers to my list of collections!  That's another story!

This is my favorite anchor hocking fire king blue
planter used as a incense burner for chinese incense, which is a lot less expensive than Japanese incense and I used this often to clear the air every morning and evening.

I like Chinese Joss sticks because the incense is yellow and the stick is bright fuchsia pink and it's smell is close to rosewood.  It comes in a graphically appealing canister and reuseable. Also, you can buy over 100 sticks for less than a cup of Starbucks!

This chartreuse mcm planter was used as my desk incense burner, but also as an organizer do-dad for paper clips, rubber bands, and mini chocolate bars when I wasn't allergic to them!

I burned morning star amber incense in it or Maroma Spa Incense, Sweet Dreams or Clear Thoughts.  The amber incense smells like the Japanese soap my Grandmother had in one of her bathrooms.

I used the Sweet Dreams or Clear Thoughts while paying bills or making dreaded phone calls.

Another planter used as either an incense holder or desk organizer.  This off white McCoy planter was my welcome at the entry way and I would burn my friends favorite incense, so they could have some relaxation as they walked through the door.

It usually burned Nag Champa.  I think it's a common or traditional incense from India.  It burns  sweet, like a flowered breeze!

This is my last "show and tell" of incense burners.  I love this vanilla pink milk glass. It was used by the bathtub with sand, my shell collection and Maroma Spa Incense Wands:  Tranquility, Joy, New Energy, Happy Heart, and Quiet Mind .

Maroma Spa Incense Wands come in 8 different aromas and I loved them all!  They also use their Colibri sachets for keep moths away from wool items naturally and smell just as nice!

Unfortunately, I'm allergic to their products now.

I used many more planters as either incense holders or desk organizers.  You can see more of them in the planter and vase section of VintageToGoetsy or in the mid century modern section of HoarderRehab.

Aug 30, 2012:  Story from the Netherlands

I had long been looking for a Japanese incense burner and this is very beautiful. I love Japanese art, haori / kimono, lacquer, vases. Thanks and I am very curious. I will take a picture and send this to you.

And it looks even better it's new home beautifully arranged!  In mine, it looked strewn about with the rest of the hoard and it's beauty did not stand out as well at all!

Saying Good-bye:  The Japanese copper incense burner was the hardest one to part with, but it went to a kind and friendly lady with a good home in the Netherlands, who happily sent me this picture of it in it's new honored spot with her story!  I also took my time packaging this item with samples of my incense, so she could try American, Chinese, Indian and Japanese incense and it was my first package going overseas and that was exciting!  The picture of it in it's new home made all the difference in the world to me!


What I learned:

1.  My incense burner collection was much larger than I thought and turned into part of my vase, planter and desk organizer collections.
  
2.  Not only do I have an incense burner collection, but also a large incense collection from various countries and some charcoal and REI cone incense still somewhere in my hoard!


3.  I have 12 saved empty and full boxes of Marona Spa Incense Wands and unconsciously collected all 8 different aromas!  Have saved their empty boxes for later use for something?  They do make good drawer sachets empty because they still smell strong even years later.

Marona incense used to be sold at Whole Foods, long ago and I used to buy a box every once awhile as a reward if I planned a monthly grocery shop well enough to last a month!

4.  Incense not only was a way I could destress myself and clear the air as part of my routine every morning and evening, but it was a way for me to find peaceful quiet spots among trying times or relax and find lost memories again.

5.  How many incense holders do I need?  How much incense do I need?  I probably have a life time's worth of incense now, since I can only burn it occasionally and outside.  If I ever buy incense in the future, it will be by the stick or a small sampler.  As for incense holders  I will use what I have, like a dish, bowl or rocks!

Parting Questions:  Do you have any collections that correspond with another one, like my incense holders and incense?  How do you reward yourself?  Any ideas for instant intangible rewards?

Thank you for taking part in my HoarderRehab!