Vast Embrace | White Porcelain Whale Incense Burner · The Sea Holds Everything

A generous heart embraces all. An open mind lets life flow.

Vast Embrace takes the form of a whale — moving through the sea with quiet ease, holding everything within, releasing without resistance. As an incense burner and storage box in one, the piece embodies the ancient wisdom of yǒu róng nǎi dà (有容乃大): only the heart that can hold the most can achieve the most. Open at the top, breathing at the sides — what enters, flows. What is carried, travels lightly.

Regular price: $3,880.00 TWD
Regular price
Sale price: $3,880.00 TWD

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Contemporary White Porcelain Craft · Fired at 1300°C

Shipping / Returns | Gift Packaging | Porcelain Care | Custom Base

Designed by Taiwanese artist Heinrich Wang

Designed by contemporary white porcelain artist Heinrich Wang, each piece embodies Eastern philosophy and contemporary form.

Transforming life philosophy into functional art, conveying a Zen-inspired modern aesthetic.

Transparent-glazed pure white porcelain | Hand crafted

Crafted with a transparent glaze technique, revealing the pure beauty of porcelain’s natural white after firing.

Only human hands can convey their warmth — every NewChi Porcelain piece is handmade, embracing the challenges of fine porcelain craftsmanship.

Gift Box & All-Occasion Card

Perfect for important festivals, greetings to elders, corporate gifting, and art collections — conveying taste and blessings. If you would like a handwritten all-occasion card, please note your request in the remarks field at checkout.

For custom wooden or acrylic bases, please contact customer service.

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Why Vast Embrace | Why This Piece

The whale — the most natural image of magnanimity

The whale moves through the largest space on earth with the most unhurried ease of any living creature. It does not compete, does not rush, does not need to prove anything — it simply is, at home in boundless water. Heinrich Wang chose the whale because it is the most direct living embodiment of yǒu róng nǎi dà (有容乃大): only the heart capacious enough to hold everything can achieve anything truly great.

Incense burner and storage box — one object, two purposes

Vast Embrace is not only an art object — it functions every day. The slender incense port at the top receives a stick of incense; the gill vents on each side and the upper opening allow the fragrance to move freely through the space. Lift the lid and the interior becomes a storage space for small objects — business cards, jewelry, small desk items — each finding its right place. "Make the best use of everything at one's disposal" — this is the piece's philosophy made practical.

Vents that breathe — the philosophy of circulation

The circular gill vents on either side of the whale's body, and the opening above, allow air and fragrance to move in and out freely — nothing accumulating, nothing blocked. This is the material form of the piece's core teaching: do not hold on, do not obstruct. Let what is good move through and around freely.

The incense port and lid alignment — the most demanding craft

The slender incense port at the top is most prone to warping during high-temperature firing, when the unsupported form softens. The lid and base must align precisely at the locking joint — at 1300°C, with 15% shrinkage, achieving a clean, natural fit requires exact calculation at every stage. Every finished piece in which the port stands true and the lid seats cleanly is the result of that discipline.

Usage Scenarios

At the entrance — a welcoming presence
A place for keys, small jewelry, or other everyday objects — and a fragrance that greets whoever enters. The whale at the threshold sets a tone of ease and openness from the first moment.
In the study — stillness through scent
A stick of incense in the slender port, fragrance drifting through the gill vents, the whale sitting quietly on the desk: "a spacious heart — this is not only a phrase, but a physical experience that happens every day."
A meaningful gift
Housewarming, business opening, promotion — Vast Embrace carries the wish of containment, ease of passage, and completeness. Ships in a gift box, ready to present.

Design Detail｜設計細節

The design language of Vast Embrace comes from the whale's most essential physical character: a full, rounded body; a tail fin extending to one side; circular gill vents on both sides. The overall proportions are round and weighted — the kind of presence on a table that communicates stability and composure without asserting itself. Unhurried. Simply there.

The slender incense port at the top is the most delicate element in proportion to the rest of the piece — the round whale body supporting a thin, upright stem, creating a contrast between heavy and light, full and fine. This contrast gives the whole piece its visual tension.

The seam between the upper lid and the lower base follows the whale's midline, so that when closed, the join is nearly invisible — a single, complete form. This is one of the most demanding effects to achieve in porcelain, and is at the core of the piece's sense of wholeness.

Product Detail

Design Concept

Vast Embrace is a white porcelain art object combining a whale form, a storage box, and an incense burner — carrying the wisdom of hǎi nà bǎi chuān, yǒu róng nǎi dà (海納百川，有容乃大) in a form that can be used, displayed, and lived with every day.

Yǒu róng nǎi dà (有容乃大) — "only the vast can embrace all" — comes from a celebrated couplet attributed to the Qing dynasty statesman Lin Zexu: "The sea receives a hundred rivers because of its vastness; the cliff stands a thousand fathoms because of its freedom from desire." These words describe a quality of character: the ability to hold, to receive, to remain open — and through that openness, to achieve a greatness that force alone never could.

Heinrich Wang translated this into a whale. The whale moves through the ocean with none of the striving of smaller creatures — no urgency, no competition, nothing to prove. It simply moves, in its own time, through the largest space available to any living thing.

The dual function of the piece responds to wù jìn qí yòng (物盡其用) — making full use of everything: fragrance fills the space with good energy; storage gives every small object its right place. What flows in, flows; what is held, is held well. A generous heart; a life at ease.

Occasions or Usage

Incense Burner:

Place an incense cone or a short incense stick inside the vessel. Once lit, the fragrance gently diffuses through the whale’s gill vents and the opening on top, creating a calm and inviting atmosphere.

Storage Box:

Lift the lid to reveal a hidden compartment, perfect for storing business cards, small accessories, stationery, or other everyday essentials.

Ideal For

Personal use: Those who value the quality of a space's atmosphere and enjoy the ritual of incense; collectors of white porcelain objects with meaningful cultural resonance

Gifting: Housewarming, business opening, career promotion — yǒu róng nǎi dà as a direct wish for the new chapter; also suited to anyone who would appreciate a daily reminder to hold things lightly

Corporate gifting: Distinctive whale form, positive cultural meaning, dual incense and storage function — a practical and meaningful choice for corporate relationship gifts

Dimension

L18.8 X W9.2 X H10.4 cm

A spacious heart, a generous embrace —

the vastness of the sea holds all.

Open to what enters, open to what leaves —

everything flows in its right course.

Give fully of what you have —

let nothing go to waste.

With all accomplished, move through the world

at ease, for all your days.
— Heinrich Wang

About the Artist | Heinrich Wang

Heinrich Wang, founder of NewChi Porcelain and Tittot, is one of Taiwan’s most representative contemporary artists in white porcelain and liuli glass. Renowned for infusing philosophy and poetry into object design, his works have been exhibited at the National Museum of History in Taiwan, the Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, and the Triennale di Milano, earning recognition from collectors worldwide. Every porcelain piece is personally overseen by Wang, offering an aesthetic choice that unites artistry, cultural depth, and practical function.

Discover More Heinrich's Design Note

FAQs

Can Vast Embrace be used as an incense burner?

Yes. The piece has a slender incense port at the top for inserting a stick of incense, and circular gill vents on both sides plus an upper opening that allow the fragrance to circulate freely through the space. It can also be used purely as a decorative storage box or display piece without the incense function.

What is the meaning of Vast Embrace?

The whale symbolizes the magnanimity of the sea — hǎi nà bǎi chuān (海納百川), the sea receives a hundred rivers. The yǒu róng nǎi dà (有容乃大) concept it carries is one of the most respected ideals in Chinese cultural tradition: the person of true greatness is the one who can hold the most, receive the most, and release without resistance. The gill vents that allow fragrance to flow freely in and out give this philosophy a physical form — what enters, flows; what is carried, travels lightly.

Is Vast Embrace a good gift?

"A spacious heart, a generous embrace" makes this piece a natural choice for any occasion that calls for the wish of capacity, openness, and forward movement. Promotion: the new role requires a larger embrace — the whale's quiet ease is the most direct embodiment of that wish. Housewarming: the incense function means the wish immediately fills the new space with good atmosphere. Business opening: every enterprise needs the sea's capacity to receive — Vast Embrace is one of the most culturally resonant opening gifts available. Ships in a gift box, ready to present.

What makes this piece difficult to fire?

The incense port is prone to warping during firing because of its slender, unsupported form — it must be carefully calculated to account for the 15% shrinkage at 1300°C while remaining straight. The lid and base must also align at the locking joint with enough precision that the finished piece closes naturally, without force. Achieving both — a true port and a clean-fitting lid — in the same firing requires exact planning at every stage of production.

Gift Wrapping

Each NewChi Porcelain piece comes with an elegantly designed gift box.

From the moment it is opened, it conveys your thoughtfulness and refined taste.

Whether it’s a housewarming gift, a wedding present, or a gesture of appreciation for someone important, it expresses warmth and emotion beyond words.

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