MAGNIFICENT FOO FINIAL TRIPOD SATSUMA INCENSE BURNER, JAPAN, MEIJI PERIOD

This finely potted earthenware koro (incense burner) is a superlative example of Meiji-period kinran-de (gold brocade) style, characterised by its ivory-toned crackle glaze and dense, miniature-style painting. The globular body is set with two unlooped handles and raised on three tripod feet modelled as stylized shishi (lion-dog) masks. Two large panels dominate the exterior: one depicting a refined gathering of courtly figures in a pavilion setting, and the other showing a traditional interior genre scene. These narrative reserves are framed by intricate borders of floral motifs, geometric patterns, and heavy raised enamel gilding. The domed, pierced cover is surmounted by a sculpted shishi finial, completing an object designed for the discerning 19th-century export market.