Incense case in the shape of biwa (Japanese lute)

This neat little incense case is Kenjo Karatsu ware, which was produced in the 19th century from the official kiln of the Karatsu domain as a gift to the Tokugawa shogun family. It has a different appeal from the 17th-century old Karatsu ware with a rough and simple design.
The fine-grained white pottery shows a shape of biwa, a type of Japanese lute. The strings are painted with iron pigment, and carefully covered with glaze. The glaze is finely cracked all over the surface, which gives additional charm to the piece.