Accessories for the Incense Ceremony
Japanese charcoal tablets, fine, extra-pure white ash and small metal-ringed mica plates produced in Japan.
These three accessories are essential for burning aromatic woods such as sandalwood or agarwood. These fragrant woods (and other perfume preparations) are burnt (or rather heated) during a traditional and highly codified ceremony called the incense ceremony, the Kōdō. Kōdō is a traditional art in Japan, like Ikebana or the tea ceremony. It involves heating (without burning) woods such as agarwood, some of whose tiny pieces can cost dozens of francs. The aim is then to enjoy the fragrance. The most experienced enthusiasts are able to recognise the types of wood and their origin.
You can, of course, use these items to enjoy the fragrance of scented woods or resin blends without following the very strict rules of the incense ceremony. Normally, you need to create a sort of 'volcano' using white ash, which you arrange and pack into a cone shape in a censer. Then light the charcoal pellet and thread it through the centre of the cone of ash, leaving a small vent so that the heat can escape through the top and then cover the opening with the mica plate. This is one way of ensuring that the surface of the mica will have the right temperature to heat without burning the small pieces of scented wood.
