Shibuichi ground, sculpted Hōrai incense burner design menuki, signed Ippō, high relief carving, color enamel inlay, hair-line engraving, comes in a paulownia wood box. Although there is no root, it is a beautifully crafted menuki with fine details. The Hōrai design (Hōrai-zu) is a design for paintings and crafts that uses the ideal paradise of ancient Chinese Taoist thought, Mount Hōrai, as its motif. It is depicted as a sacred mountain where immortals live, or an ideal realm on the sea, and is a subject used for celebrations, along with auspicious patterns such as cranes, turtles, pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms. Although there are no mountains or seas, the incense burner features pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms, and the lid features cranes and turtles. It may not be an incense burner, but it is well-made down to the smallest details, and a unique aesthetic world view is condensed within. Regarding the signature Ippō, I speculated that it might be a master craftsman of the late Edo period, a disciple of Gotō Ichijō, because of the character "Ichi" (one). However, I discovered a metalworker with the name Ippōken in the Sword Mounting Metalwork Dictionary. Chiba Mototane, from Dewa Province, studied under Ishiguro Masatsune in Edo, and later became a disciple of Ōkawa Motosada of Mito, and was a skilled craftsman who became a retainer of the Rokugō family, the lord of the Honjō domain. Although there is no definitive proof, there are no other known works with the name Ippō, so the possibility is high. There are slight signs of aging, such as dirt and color fading, but the color enamel remains beautifully preserved, and it is in very good condition. Please check the images carefully. Due to the influence of light, the colors may appear slightly different from the actual item. Also, there may be some differences depending on the browser of your computer or smartphone. Please understand. Size Signed / Length: approx. 1.45cm, Width: approx. 5.47cm, Thickness: approx. 0.31cm Unsigned / Length: approx. 1.48cm, Width: approx. 5.49cm, Thickness: approx. 0.31cm ※ The book is not included.