Meiji-Style Japanese Bronze Incense Burner (Kōro) with Shishi Lion Finial — Monumental High-Relief Censer, Preserved Unused

Meiji-Style Japanese Bronze Incense Burner with Shishi Lion Finial

This is a Japanese bronze incense burner (koro), executed in a Meiji-style idiom with strong sculptural presence. The vessel rises on a tiered base and is capped by a lid crowned with a crouching shishi (guardian lion), a motif associated with protection, authority, and threshold guardianship.

The surface is worked in dense high relief, creating a field of texture that reads as shadow and depth under light. Rather than relying on a single emblem, the piece builds impact through overall casting density and consistent finish—a hallmark of ambitious Japanese metalwork that bridges ritual form and display object.

Condition is described as unused, preserved storage, with no conspicuous damage or staining noted. For an object of this scale and complexity, surface integrity matters; it suggests careful keeping rather than repeated incense exposure.

Large incense burners like this sit between function and sculpture. While rooted in Buddhist and ceremonial vocabulary, monumental examples were also placed in reception interiors, alcoves, and curated collections as symbols of refinement and protection.

Without independent documentation confirming a named workshop or master, any attribution should be treated stylistically rather than definitively. The value proposition rests on scale, casting quality, completeness, and preservation.

Key Facts

• Dimensions: Height 51 cm × Width 36.5 cm × Depth 23.7 cm
• Condition: Unused, preserved storage condition (per description)
• Customs: HS Code 8306.29 | Country of Origin: Japan

Shipping & Logistics

• Estimated item weight: ~8.5 kg
• Safe packaged weight estimate: ~12.0 kg (reinforced double-box)
• Courier options: DHL / FedEx / UPS

Confidence & Verification Notes

Period and style language are based on visual assessment and the accompanying description and should be treated as approximate. No independent documentation confirming a specific workshop or maker is included. Condition is reported as unused preserved storage; practical incense use will depend on the recipient’s handling preferences.

Collector’s Resonance

This piece is for collectors who want presence: a monumental koro that reads as sculpture at room scale. It resonates with Meiji-era decorative sensibilities, guardian-lion iconography, and dense casting surfaces that reward close viewing.

If you would like white-glove packing, consolidation, and destination-specific courier planning, our Concierge Logistics team can support your shipment end-to-end.

JSP-B Curatorial Footer: Monumental Japanese incense burners translate ritual vocabulary into sculptural form—objects where casting density, scale, and preservation become the primary collector signals.