Large 17th C. Japanese Wood Incense Box w/ Metal Lining

East Asia, Japan, Edo Period, ca. 1603 to 1868 CE. A sizable example of a wooden incense box composed of several wooden slats that are secured with petite iron pins. The rectangular box has a sturdy body, a squat rim projecting from the top, and a form-fitting lid, with thin sheets of hammered metal lining the interior of the lid and body. Each side of the body bears three large Kanji symbols painted in black ink, and thin iron panels reinforce each of the corners of the lid as well as the upper corners of the body. Boxes like this example were used as storage and transportation vessels for large quantities of incense as part of a wedding dowry for a daimyo (provincial lord), and the scent of the original incense can still be smelled within. Size: 13.7" L x 20.875" W x 14.5" H (34.8 cm x 53 cm x 36.8 cm)

Provenance: private Arizona, USA collection

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#150351
Condition Report: Minor abrasions to body and lid, with light indentations to interior metal lining, and fading to Kanji symbols on exterior, otherwise intact and very good. Great patina and light earthen deposits throughout.