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The Art of Incense

Incense has been a part of ritual and daily life for millennia. It is a part of almost every culture, and to some (the Japanese, the Tibetans and other far eastern) it is a necessity.
From the Japanese incense giant, Shoyeido, the Ten Virtues of Koh (Incense)

It brings communication with the transcendet
It refreshes mind and body
It removes impurity
It brings alertness
It is a companion in solitude
In the midst of busy affairs, it brings a moment of peace
When it is plentiful, one never tires of it
When there is little, still one is satisfied
Age does not change its efficacy
Used everyday, it does no harm

There are many kinds of incense. Probably the most familliar are the sticks and cones; but these are far from the only forms. From India, we get dhoops, which can be like cones or sticks, but they are pure incense (no stick) and come in cylinders (both thick and thin) and long sticky ropes. From Tibet we get string incense, which looks like thin braided ropes soaked in aromatic substances. And then there is loose incense, which is sometimes powder, granules or chips of wood. Loose incense comes in both self-burning and non-combustible (which must be burned on charcoal).