Shōchikubai Senchawan - 40ml
Kuramoto MasaoThis delicate and elegant Kiyomizu-yaki porcelain senchawan (sencha cup) is decorated with the shōchikubai (松竹梅 - pine, bamboo, plum) motif, with carefully hand-painted and gilded pine tree, plum branch, and bamboo stalk.
Also known as The Three Friends of Winter, shōchikubai is traditional East Asian art motif that has its origins in Tand Dynasty Chinese art. Each of the three plants is known for not withering throughout the winter months, thus representing resilience. In Japan, this motif is also heavily associated with New Year's.
With a classic tulip shape and a modest 40ml capacity, this cup is ideal for savouring high-grade sencha, though can be used for any purpose. The pure white of porcelain also allows you to appreciate the colour and clarity of the tea.
This cup was made by Kuramoto Masao (倉元 真佐夫) of Kōhō Kiln (光抱窯).
Made in Japan. Ships from the United States.
Width: 6 cm (2.4 in)
Height: 4.5 cm (1.8 in)
Capacity: 40 ml
Kiyomizu-yaki (清水焼) (also called Shimizu-yaki) is a type of Japanese pottery that traditionally comes from Gojōzaka district near Kiyomizu Temple, in Kyoto, Japan. A subset of Kyo-yaki which refers to all pottery made in the Kyoto area, Kiyomizu ware has been produced since the 16th century
There are many styles of chawan produced in the Kyōto area and few are as synonymous with the term Kyō-yaki (京焼 - Kyōto wares) as the colourful overglaze painted styles. While there is no agreed upon term for the general Kyōto style, the term iro-e ( 色絵 - colourful paintings) refers to the technique of overglaze painting. Unlike the painted styles detailed above which used iron pigments applied underneath a transparent glaze, overglaze decoration uses enamels applied on top of the glaze. This allows for much more colourful and detailed designs and images. The development of this style can be traced to three individual potters. Nonomura Ninsei (野々村仁清) and his student Ogata Kenzan (尾形 乾山) pioneered the style in the early-mid Edo period. Later in the 1700s, Okuda Eisen (奥田頴川) introduced porcelain technology to Kyōto which made overglaze painting easier.
