Until 1st May, 2026
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A BRONZE AND COPPER ‘LOTUS’ EKORO (LONG-HANDLED CENSER), NANBOKUCHO PERIOD
Lot 169 - JPN1225
Japan, 14th century, Nanbokucho period (1336-1392)
Exquisitely modeled as a lotus-form brazier with finely chased petals supported on a leaf-form foot, the cover cast in openwork with leaf veins surmounted by a central knob, borne on the long handle decorated with leafy vines and a butterfly and floral bracket, all richly detailed with skillful incision work.
LENGTH 28 cm
WEIGHT 203 g
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and casting irregularities. Few small dents, tiny scratches, the hinge with a small loss, and traces of wear and use.
The practice of offering incense to Buddhist deities with long-handled censers can be traced back to Gandharan stone sculpture of the 2nd century. These censers were later introduced to Japan from Tang China, where designs with plain, bird-tail–shaped ends or lion-form counterbalances were especially favored. Japanese bronze casters soon began producing their own versions modeled on Tang prototypes. By the Heian period, the counterbalances had evolved into a simpler, water-pitcher shape—a form that remained popular until the Edo period.
Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related long-handled gilt bronze censer (ekoro), 14th-15th century, Kamakura period, 34 cm long, at Christie’s London, 14 May 2008, lot 25 (sold for GBP 2,250 or approx. EUR 4,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Compare a closely related long-handled gilt bronze censer (ekoro), 14th century, Nanbokucho period, 39 cm long, at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Art, 18 September 2007, New York, lot 139 (sold for USD 5,625 or approx. EUR 7,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).
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