Gin-yo

Gin-yo 銀 葉

Utensil for Koh-do: The Way of Incense, also called Kōdō (香 道).

In kōdō, a small piece of fragrant wood is heated on a small mica plate (Gin-yo), which is heated from below by a piece of charcoal surrounded by ash. All of this is stored in a small ceramic censer that can look like a cup. It is not common for wood or incense sticks to be burned, as that would cause smoke; only the essential aromatic oils may be released from the wood by the heat underneath.

Place the mica plate on the spindle. It acts as a separation between the fragrant incense and the heat of the coals or ashes.