Ever tried to burn a scoop or a mound of incense powder (sandalwood, agarwood etc) in a saucer or an incense burner and not have it combust to completion, often smouldering, smelling charred and too smokey? That happens because of the lack of proper access to air for complete combustion of incense powders if… [Read More…]
Incense and fragrance for therapeutic purposes
Both scent and taste are sensed by a family of transmembrane proteins known as G-protein coupled receptors. But sparing you the boring science, I thought that this article could be a good follow up to the Rikkoku post I had last week, where agarwood notes are described as tastes. In principle the best way to… [Read More…]
Mukasa-no-Takimono – The Six Kneaded Incenses of the Hei-an Period
Kneaded incense was thought to be brought into Japan by Buddhist Monk, Gan-Jin around 750 AD. From its introduction in the midst of the Nara Period (710 AD to 794 AD) to the Hei-an Period (794-1185), kneaded incense gained immense popularity and it was the norm for the rich and noble to take part… [Read More…]
Making Kneaded Incense Balls – Neri-Koh
The art of making kneaded incense balls dates back over a thousand years ago during the Chinese Tang Dynasty and the corresponding Hei-an period in Japan. Prior to usage in incense culture, honeyed pills (练丹) made from combining medicinal herbs with honey, and sealing off with wax, was a common practice in Chinese medicine. The… [Read More…]
Philosophies of the Way of Incense
The philosophies and ideals of the way of incense is very seldom talked about in online media (perhaps also due to the lack of translations?). Most of what is being said about the Way of Incense (ko-do) is generally process orientated, on how to heat wood chips, make incense trails, kneaded incense balls (which has… [Read More…]