Incense Holder: Imperial Carriage Wheel / Imperial Palace Carriage [Shoyeido Incense Holder Series]

The "Imperial Carriage Wheel" / "Imperial Palace Carriage" incense holder draws inspiration from the wheels of the ox-drawn carriages used by Japanese royalty. Its elegant celadon glaze lends the entire piece a remarkably minimalist aesthetic. The spokes of the wheel are perfectly shaped to catch incense ash, making the process of burning incense more convenient. In 2018, "I-Sheng Cultural & Creative," the sole card specialty store in Taiwan, was recognized by Japan's Shoyeido of Kyoto, becoming their official distributor in Taiwan. This marked the first instance globally of a card specialty store becoming a Shoyeido distributor. Shoyeido, a renowned incense purveyor from Kyoto, Japan, was founded in 1705 (Hōei 2). With over three centuries of history and now in its twelfth generation, the company continues to craft incense using traditional methods and natural ingredients. Many famous Kyoto temples, including Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, Tō-ji, and Kiyomizu-dera, use Shoyeido's incense sticks. The incense souvenirs you purchase at these temples are also meticulously made by Shoyeido. All incense products are handcrafted in their Kyoto workshops, following ancient techniques. Furthermore, Shoyeido insists on using the finest materials for its entire range of products, from incense burners and small incense holders to personal incense pouches, all manufactured in Japan. Despite Shoyeido's considerable reputation both in Japan and internationally, they maintain only nine directly managed stores across Japan, deliberately avoiding an increase in sales points or the use of franchise systems to ensure the highest quality of products and services. For their overseas locations, Shoyeido rigorously vets each distributor's business philosophy and practices, strictly limiting the number of official distributors to preserve their century-old reputation. While incense sticks do not have an expiration date, to ensure enthusiasts in Taiwan can enjoy the freshest incense, I-Sheng Cultural & Creative places small, bi-monthly orders directly from the Kyoto headquarters to Taipei. This guarantees the optimal quality of the incense. Moreover, thanks to the collaborative relationship and mutual trust with the headquarters, I-Sheng Cultural & Creative is one of the few distributors authorized to sell Shoyeido's limited edition overseas incense and Japan-exclusive products. Consequently, I-Sheng Cultural & Creative has introduced ten different product lines, encompassing nearly eighty varieties of incense. They also offer approximately sixty types of accessories, including incense holders, dishes, and burners. This allows you to select from a wide array of Shoyeido incense products without needing to travel to Kyoto. Shoyeido incense holders are semi-handmade in Japan. Minor imperfections such as iron powder (black spots), glaze imperfections, or unevenness may occur due to the hand-painting process. The appearance of the glaze can also vary due to manual glazing, with fine powders sometimes appearing white, reddish, or grayish. These are not defects and can be used with confidence. Variations in feel and color application are also characteristic of handmade items and should not be considered flaws. * As this is a fragile item, please handle with care. Once lit, for safety reasons, please be mindful not to move the incense holder. ※ Product dimensions are measured in millimeters when laid flat. Slight errors may occur due to manual measurement. ※ The color of the product images may vary slightly due to differences in computer monitor settings. Please refer to the actual product color for accuracy.