TRAY

Description: BLACK LACQUERED TRAY WITH GOLD EDGING AND GOLD JODO SHINSHU CREST ON FRONT, TEXT ON UNDERSIDE READS, “50TH ANNIVERSARY, KELOWNA BUKKYO FUJINKAI.” GOLD STICKER ON UNDERSIDE READS, “MADE IN JAPAN,” WITH ASIAN CHARACTERS. LOWER LEFT CORNER OF TOP OF TRAY DISPLAYS DAMAGE, LIKELY DUE TO BURNING FROM INCENSE. JAPANESE NAME FOR TRAY IS, “SHOKO-BON,” WHICH TRANSLATES TO, “INCENSE TRAY.”

History: TRAY WOULD HAVE BEEN A GIFT FOR A TABER BUDDHIST CHURCH DELEGATE ATTENDING THE KELOWNA BUDDHIST TEMPLE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY. INCENSE-BURNING WAS A COMMON RITUAL PRACTICED IN BUDDHIST CHURCHES, SIGNIFYING ONES RESPECT AND GRATITUDE TOWARDS AMIDA BUDDHA. AN INCENSE-BURNER AND INCENSE–HOLDER WOULD HAVE LIKELY SAT ON THE TRAY. TRAY WOULD HAVE SAT ON A SHOKO-DAI. WORDS ‘BUKKYO’ AND ‘FUJINKAI’ ON BOTTOM OF TRAY REFER TO THE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S AUXILIARY GROUP, RESPECTIVELY, THE CORE ORGANIZATIONAL GROUPS WITHIN A BUDDHIST CHURCH. PER SIGNIFICANCE OF OFFERINGS, SEE HISTORY OF BUPPANKI UNDER P20070020001. INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM REVEREND IZUMI, A LOCAL BUDDHIST MINISTER, in 2008. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE P20070020001 AND PERMANENT RECORD.