We come to you with a very important missive: behold these incense boxes (kōgō) in the shape of mandarin ducks! From Meiji-period Japan (1868–1912), they are made of lacquered wood and decorated with gold and silver takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, and togidashimaki-e, as well as cutout gold foil application.
They're part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's open access collection and available to view on JSTOR.














