Round incense container (kogo) with cotton roses and eulalia, with lid

This container is used to hold small pieces of incense that might be placed among the coals of the brazier during a charcoal ceremony prior to the tea-making ritual. In this case, the host has placed the container on a special pack of folded paper (tato). This indicates to the guests that the charcoal ceremony will not be performed, and that the display of the container in the alcove is primarily for their pleasure. Guests to a tea gathering enjoy viewing seasonal motifs on such objects; the cotton roses and eulalia leaves here are associated with late summer.