A kogo holds the incense placed on the fire during the charcoal procedure. It is small and lidded, and although the incense itself is used in tiny quantity, the container is one of the objects guests examine most closely, since it carries the season plainly in its shape and decoration.
History and types
The type descends from Buddhist incense containers. Ceramic, lacquer, and metal are all used, and the material conventionally follows the fire: ceramic with the sunken hearth, lacquer with the brazier, since lacquer would be damaged by the hotter charcoal work of winter. Shapes are frequently figurative — shells, fruit, animals, seasonal plants — making the kogo the utensil where seasonal reference is most direct.
In practice
Incense is added to the fire during the charcoal procedure, and the container is then set out for examination alongside the charcoal basket. Guests pick it up, look at the decoration and the interior, and ask about it; the answer, like that for the tea scoop's name, is part of the host's statement about the occasion.
Sources
- 香合（デジタル大辞泉 / 精選版 日本国語大辞典） / コトバンク
Supports: 香合が香を入れる蓋付きの小容器で、漆器・木地・蒔絵・陶磁器などがあり「香箱」ともいうこと
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
Tea ceremony descriptions can vary by school and source. Where interpretations differ, this glossary avoids definitive claims and focuses on broadly shared understandings. If you notice an error, please let us know viaContact. To learn about our organization, seeAbout Chaen.