Incense case of byobubako type

This incense case is a representative ware in Kumamoto. It is called Yatsushiro ware, or Koda ware which derived from its place name where the kiln was opened. The kiln was patronized by the Kumamoto domain, producing excellent utensils under the lead of Hosokawa Sansai, who was both a feudal lord and a master of tea ceremony. The inlay technique is the feature of the Yatsushiro ware. The patterns are created by filling white slip into the grooves that are incised on the formed clay with a spatula before putting it on fire.