Bountiful Awaji Incense Sticks

Editor’s Notes

Astier de Villatte incense sticks evoke the distinct character of different destinations around the world – imbuing living spaces with a lingering, distinctive scent.The Japanese island of Awaji provides sensory inspiration for these incense sticks – made using ancestral techniques, their smoke exudes the delicate scent of driftwood, resins, jasmine and immortelle. There is a legend that once a trunk of Agar wood was washed onto the island’s beach – the residents burned it, creating a smell that was so intoxicating they decided to offer it as a gift to the Emperor, and then later to create a sanctuary on the shore.“We ask people to produce with a good spirit so the pieces look almost alive.”
Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli, Astier founders