View of the entrance to a traditional Japanese shrine or temple with red and black lanterns hanging overhead. There is a small courtyard area with a tree and stone lanterns in the background.

Zen & Meditation

Still spaces are not empty. They are made.

The objects in this collection are the ones that change the quality of a room: a singing bowl that carries a note further than you expect, a koro where incense smoke rises and disappears, a mokugyo that marks the rhythm of a practice. Buddhist altar pieces that have already been part of someone's daily ritual for decades.

I sourced these in temples, at markets, in small shops in Kyoto and Nara and places with no English signage. Most of them were already being used for something quiet and considered when I found them. That matters to me.

You do not need a practice to live with these objects. You just need a corner of a room that you want to feel different.

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Singing bowls, koro and ritual objects: where to start

A vintage black incense burner koro with smoke rising from it, placed on a surface on temple grounds in Japan

Start with what kind of stillness you are looking for.

A singing bowl is for those who want to work with sound: a single tone struck in a room that changes how the next few minutes feel. You do not need a practice. You need a moment, and something to mark it with. If you are drawn to the idea but not sure where to begin, start with a bowl that you can hold in one hand. Try it before you commit to anything else.

A kōro is for those who want to work with space. Incense changes a room before you do anything else. If you already light candles or burn incense, a koro is the natural next object. It holds the practice and gives it a place.

Mokugyo and altar pieces are for those who want something older, something with more weight to it. A mokugyo without a practice is still an object with a quality that is hard to describe and easy to feel. The altar pieces in this collection have held intention for a long time. That is not nothing.

Not sure where to start? Read about what these objects do in Japanese Buddhist practice, and what I look for when I source them.

READ: THE OBJECTS OF ZEN

Find what speaks to you

Close-up of a person wearing a patterned silk vintage haori kimono jacket and holding an antique brass singing bowl with a wooden mallet.
orin Singing bowls
Close-up of a vintage buddhist carved wooden mokugyo temple drum with decorative wood carved patterns, resting on a fabric with intricate gold thread embroidery.
Mokugyo
Close-up view of incense lit with a tall, thin wick in the foreground and a blurred, golden-brown koro in the background.
kōro incense burners

Meet our featured items

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Read pages from my journal

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A smiling blonde woman in a black shirt standing outdoors in a lush, green Japanese garden with rocks and stone lanterns.

Questions before you buy?

Since my items are one-of-a-kind piece, I want to ensure it reaches you perfectly.

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Reach out to me directly. I'm here to help you find the perfect piece for your home.

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