Some of my earliest and sweetest memories involve sitting on the sofa in my best outfit, alongside my siblings in a tidy living room, uunsi [frankincense] burning in the background, waiting for our guests to arrive. When uunsi burned it was a warning of sorts: The meal was made, the guests were on their way, the day had begun, and, sometimes, mamo was going to a wedding.
— Read more in The Scent That Takes Me Back Home, Wherever I Am at Architectural Digest. Hat tip to Kevin!
From Bradley Mountain, Among the Pines Incense Cones. "Among the Pines incense cones brings a fresh forest smell to your home or cabin. Burn these cones when you want to be taken back to your last camping trip." With cedar, moss and pine, 20 cones for $18 at Beautyhabit.
A simpler, cheaper (although still not cheap-thrills material) burner: the Komolab Elysian. "A concrete sphere allows your incense sticks to overhang gently over a bed of wood. Inspired by simple geometries, these burners help create a bold and elegant atmosphere." Available in walnut, ebonized oak or oak, $48.
So let's say last week's spendy Gucci incense burner wasn't spendy enough for you, and also maybe too fussy looking? Here you go: L'Objet's Monster Ball. "L'Objet joined forces with artists (and brothers) Simon and Nikolai Haas to create a collection of "otherworldly" home accessories. Part of the range, this imaginative 'Monster Ball' incense holder is crafted from white porcelain and set on a brass base - secure your reed sticks inside it, then watch the scented smoke emerge from its horns." $1,100 at Net-a-Porter.
From Gucci's Herbarium collection, the bee incense stand in porcelain, shown in green, also sold in black. "The incense burner is designed as a small round dish, featuring Gucci's Herbarium motif—a whimsical Toile de Jouy design of cherry branches, leaves and flowers, inspired by a vintage fabric. The center bee, a historical Gucci code taken from the '70s archives, has a small opening to hold an incense stick." 4 inch diameter, $195. Hat tip to Kevin! (If you look around, you can find a slightly larger oval dish with a stag beetle instead of a bee, $310.)