Late Ming dynasty (17th century)
Donated by the Homma family
This celadon censer was fired at the Longquan kilns in Zhejiang Province and is shaped like a duck. Being hollow from the bottom lid to the mouth, the smoke rises up out of the mouth. During the Muromachi period, many animal-shaped censers were imported to Japan and used for decorating tatami rooms. In particular, censers in the shape of ducks were valued highly as decorations for chigaidana staggered shelves.
This style of celadon is known in Japan as shichikan. It is characterized by its strong, translucent blue-green color. The origin of the term shichikan is believed to be the title of the Chinese person who first introduced it to Japan, but the specifics are not known.