A hand-sculpted porcelain incense and palo santo burner from Dogabi — a South Korean ceramic studio whose entire output is built around a single figure: the dokkaebi, or Korean goblin. In Korean folklore, the dokkaebi is not a villain. It is a guardian — a protector of the home, a bringer of abundance, a creature that lives in the space between the frightening and the familiar.
This piece, No. 367, is wheel-thrown and hand-sculpted in white porcelain, glazed in a rich crimson red that fades into pale gold, cream, and blue at the ridges and hollows — the color of terracotta seen through firelight, or a sun-warmed clay wall at dusk. Two platinum-fired horns curve backward from the crown. Two wide gold pupils sit atop a broad upturned snout with double nostrils. The mouth opens in a generous grin lined with platinum teeth. Four small stubby legs anchor the body to the surface.
The upper section is designed with a lid whose hollow parts allow the scent of incense to diffuse subtly through the top as well as the mouth. Fired at 2,282°F with oxidation, then re-fired at 1,472°F for the platinum glaze. Each piece is one of a kind; no two Dogabi are identical.
WHY IT'S SPECIAL
- Every piece is unique: wheel-thrown and hand-sculpted individually by ceramic artist Hyung Jun Kim — no two are the same face, the same glaze, the same expression.
- Removable lid with hollow ventilation: scent diffuses subtly through the top as well as the mouth, so the entire head releases smoke.
- Platinum-fired teeth, horns, and pupils: re-fired at 1,472°F for a cool metallic finish that reads as both ancient and entirely contemporary.
- Warm crimson glaze with cream and blue accents: rich, terracotta-like, and layered — one of the warmest colorways in the Dogabi collection.
- Dokkaebi mythology: an old Korean word for goblin — traditionally a guardian of the home and a symbol of abundance, not a monster. The fearsome face is protective.
- Dogabi looks more mysterious and energetic when a light glows and smoke rises by itself, creating a special atmosphere in the room.
- Collectible from the first: the studio numbers each piece, and past Dogabi sold through Takamichi Beauty Room have not returned.
DETAILS
- Material: white porcelain
- Size: 110 x 110 x 125 (h) mm / 4.3" x 4.3" x 4.9" high
- Weight: 515g
- Method: wheel throwing, hand sculpting, pierced decoration
- Kiln: oxidation firing at 2,282°F; platinum glaze firing at 1,472°F
- Includes removable lid with hollow ventilation for smoke diffusion
- Holds palo santo sticks and incense
- One of a kind; each piece varies
- Made in South Korea by THR Ceramic Studio
THE BRAND
Dogabi is the ceramic line of THR Ceramic Studio, founded in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea in 2003 by ceramic artist Hyung Jun Kim. The studio's work spans functional objects and one-of-a-kind sculpture, but the Dogabi series is its most singular obsession: every piece is a new version of the same figure — the dokkaebi of Korean folklore, reimagined in porcelain each time. The dokkaebi has been part of Korean imagination for centuries, appearing as guardian, trickster, monster, and protector depending on who is telling the story. Kim's versions are all of these at once. Each is numbered, each is different, and none come back once they're gone. In October 2024, Takamichi Beauty Room hosted an exhibition with the artist, covered by T Magazine.
