Portable Incense Burner in the Shape of a Lotus

This portable incense burner stands out in the Van Horne collection, which includes primarily tea ware. It was purchased in New York in 1898 for nine dollars. It was Van Horne’s 828th purchase, as stated in one of his inventory notebooks. Ken’ya was known for his incense burners and recognized in the West as a dignified master potter. His success was related to the contemporary craze for the Rimpa style, which mesmerized so many Western collectors in the 1880s and 1890s, including Van Horne.