Ichii Ittō-bori Fan Kōgō by Kiminoyuki — Yew Wood Incense Box, Signed

A fan-shaped incense container (kōgō) carved in the Ichii Ittō-bori tradition — single-cut yew wood carving from the Hida-Takayama region — by the artist Kiminoyuki. Those seeking Japanese incense container, uchiwa kogo tea ceremony, Ichii Itto-bori carved wood, Hida Takayama craft, yew wood Japanese box, hand-carved incense holder Japan, kogō signed wooden box, traditional Japanese woodcraft, tea ceremony incense vessel, Kiminoyuki wood carving, Japanese folk craft collectible, fan shape kogo chado, wabi tea ceremony accessory will find in this piece the quiet grammar of hand and blade.

🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ]
Dimensions: Diameter 8 cm, Height 2 cm
Condition: No cracks. Some usage wear consistent with age and handling — evidence of a life in use.
Box: Signed wooden storage box with artist inscription
SKU: 260402_a_2608

🔹 [ Cultural & Artistic Insight ]
Ichii Ittō-bori — literally "one-cut carving of yew" — is a traditional woodcraft originating in the Hida region, centered on the mountain city of Takayama in Gifu Prefecture. It was developed in the Edo period by the craftsman Matsuda Sukenaga, who recognized the particular qualities of ichii (Taxus cuspidata, Japanese yew): a wood of dense, even grain, warm reddish-brown heartwood, and a surface that takes a blade cleanly without splintering. The defining technique is the single decisive cut — each facet of the surface created in one uninterrupted stroke, leaving a sharp, glinting plane rather than a sanded, smoothed surface. The accumulated facets create a surface that catches light dynamically, each angle reading differently as the piece is turned in the hand. The uchiwa (round fan) form is a summer motif in Japanese aesthetic culture, associated with cooling breezes and the pleasures of the season — an apt shape for a kōgō, a small container that holds aromatic material and opens to release fragrance.

🔹 [ Deep-Dive Commentary ]
The crosshatch pattern carved across the surface of this kōgō demonstrates the technical control Ichii Ittō-bori demands: intersecting lines of equal width and depth, each executed in a single pull of the blade. The yew wood's density means that any hesitation or change of pressure is immediately visible as a deviation. There is no correction in this craft — only the willingness to begin again. The warm, reddish tone of the heartwood deepens with handling over time, acquiring a patina that cannot be manufactured. The usage wear noted on this piece is not damage but biography — the accumulated evidence of use in chado, of fragrant woods or blended incense resting within. At 8 cm diameter and 2 cm height, the form is ideal for temae: small enough to hold in the fingers during formal handling, substantial enough to feel considered. Signed by Kiminoyuki, a name carrying the meaning of "The Snow of the Lord" — appropriate for a craftsperson working in the mountain regions of Hida.

🔹 [ JAPANESE DESCRIPTION / 日本語解説 ]
公之作 うちわ香合 一位一刀彫。飛騨高山の伝統工芸・一位一刀彫による、うちわ型の香合です。イチイの木目と鑿の一刀が生む格子文様が、光を受けて表情を変えます。使用感あり（経年の風合い）。共箱付き。寸法：径約8cm、高さ約2cm。

🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ]
• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days
• Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking)
• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials