A ceramic container sculpted with Buddhist figures by Saito Kairaku enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Ao-Kochi Koro (Blue Kochin Style Incense Burner).Kochi pottery is made in the style of Kochin ware from China, in this case Ao refers to the green visible under the gold.The entire piece has been glazed in green, which is in turn covered in gold.It is 10 x 10 x 13 cm (4 x 4 x 5 inches) and in excellent condition.
Sagano ware is one of the types of pottery that originated from a kiln located in front of Daikaku-ji Temple in Sagano led by the potter Saito Kairaku from the Meiji to Taisho periods. Kairaku was born at the end of the Edo period and worked as an assistant to Eiraku Wazen. After Wazen's death, Kairaku became independent. Mitsui Takanao, who was the most enthusiastic about pottery among the Mitsui family—a clan of tea ceremony enthusiasts during the Meiji era—collaborated with and received guidance from Kairaku for the kiln at his residence, as recorded in the Mitsui family archives. Though now forgotten, Kairaku was highly regarded in Kyoto as a skilled potter, and he is said to have received many orders from temples and shrines.
