Solid Wood Incense Stick Holder 23cm

A single length of timber, 23 centimetres long, with a drilled seat at one end for the stick and a shallow channel running the rest of its length to catch the ash. There is nothing else to it, which is why it works: no lid to lift, no tray to empty separately, and nothing that dates. Walnut gives a dark, warm bar; birch is pale, close-grained and almost white.

The channel is the part that earns its keep. Ash from a burning stick falls more or less straight down, and a flat holder scatters it across whatever surface it is standing on. Here it collects in the groove and tips straight into a bin when the stick is spent. The base is flat and wide enough that it does not rock, even when the stick is only half burned.

Incense burns with a live ember, so the same care applies as for a candle. Stand the holder on a heat-resistant surface, well away from curtains, paper, dried flowers and anything overhanging, and never leave a burning stick unattended or in a room with young children or pets. Do not burn a stick down beyond the seat. Wipe the wood with a dry cloth; do not wash it.

• Material: solid wood, in walnut or birch
• Length: 23 cm (9 in)
• Drilled stick seat with a full-length ash channel
• Never leave burning incense unattended; use on a heat-resistant surface away from soft furnishings
• Keep away from children and pets; wipe with a dry cloth only