This elegant white silk fukusa (ceremonial gift cover) from Japan dates to the Taisho period (1912–1926). Measuring 19 inches by 20 inches (48 cm x 51 cm), the textile features minimalist imagery associated with the sacred Buddhist incense-burning ceremony. The piece is in excellent condition and retains its original decorative tassels at each corner.

The central composition consists of a hand-painted tripod incense burner (koro) and a long, slender incense tool, likely a wand or stirrer, rendered with fine embroidery couching to provide subtle golden highlights. In Buddhist practice, the burning of incense serves as a symbolic offering of purity, representing the devout aspirations of the practitioner and the cleansing of the ritual space. Historically, incense was also believed to shield the souls of the deceased from malevolent spirits. The vast, unadorned white silk ground emphasizes the sacred nature of the objects, creating a sense of meditative stillness.

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