This design is an arrangement of the "Edo cat" by Kuniyoshi Utagawa, a popular ukiyo-e artist who represents the end of the Edo period.
During this period, the government prohibited the drawing of Kabuki actors in ukiyo-e prints and the depiction of extravagant customs. Frugality, the town's vibrancy disappears, and the citizens are stressed.
Utagawa made the public very happy by anthropomorphizing cats, fish, and birds to draw a Yukaku. Among them, Utagawa is also known as an unrivalled cat lover, and many works anthropomorphize cats.
This is a sake set made by arranging such an Edo cat from Utagawa and copying it into a glass using modern techniques to place it on the glass and wooden masu.
Masu(枡), a small wooden box, was originally used to measure rice and even as a form of currency. Now more commonly known for drinking sake, interior decorations or souvenir from Japan.
The smell will be what hits you immediately; you could almost taste the flavour of the hinoki wood. Hinoki, a species of cypress native to central Japan in East Asia, has been a precious wood since ancient times in Japan for building shrines. Because of its water repellent surface, the Japanese “Hinoki” cypress is a typical material but more luxurious for making wooden tools in families and perfect for making masu.
As every piece has its handmade feature, slight irregularities in size, glaze, colour and texture might occur and reflect the nature of the artisan product.
🏷️ What's included? One (1) Sake Cup and One (1) Wooden Masu in a Gift Box
💡 The design of this page product is a cat playing football.
🎎 Designed and Made In Japan
🍶 Material: Glass (Sake Cup), Masu (Japanese Cypress)
📏 Size (Sake Cup): 5.5 cm diameter (top), 5.6 cm diameter (maximum), 9 cm height, 100 ml
📏 Size (Masu): 8.5cm x 8.5cm x 5.5cm, 180 ml
🎁 Comes with a gift box. Great as a gift!