{"product_id":"kutani-ware-sake-cup-rabbit","title":"TAMURA SEITO Kutani ware Sake Cup - Jumping Rabbit \/ 九谷焼 盃","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA footed sake cup by Seito Tamura(田村星都), one of only two people in Japan still practising Kutani brush-written micro-calligraphy, known as \u003ci\u003emōhitsu saiji(\u003c\/i\u003e毛筆細字\u003ci\u003e)\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e[Lift it and the whole piece rewards a closer look: a white rabbit caught mid-leap across the well of the cup, a single pink blossom above it, and fine strokes of colour scattered like the first signs of the season.] here delete…?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eTucked into the upper curve is a waka poem, written in \u003ci\u003eman’yōgana (\u003c\/i\u003e万葉仮名\u003ci\u003e)\u003c\/i\u003e—an ancient phonetic script—with each character measuring only a few millimetres. It is the detail you notice last and return to most: an entire poem folded into a cup you can hold in one hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSeito is the fourth generation of her family to carry this technique, passed from one pair of hands to the next for over a century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eFor \u003ci\u003emōhitsu saiji\u003c\/i\u003e, the characters are painted using a viscous, manganese-bearing overglaze pigment. The material is notoriously difficult to control. Its resistance makes it extremely challenging to produce the smooth curves, sweeping finishes and flicking strokes that come naturally in traditional calligraphy, meaning the characters cannot simply be written as though with ink on paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eAnd yet, when looking at the finished work, the script appears to flow effortlessly across the porcelain. The reason is deceptively simple: each character has been constructed specifically to create that impression. Through a distinctive method and carefully adapted stroke order, Seito builds each line so that it ultimately appears fluid and spontaneous. Only through this specialised process can the elegance of brush calligraphy be expressed on the surface of a vessel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eShe also paints the overglaze decoration herself, so the rabbit, blossom and script are all held by a single hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe raised foot, touched with gold, lifts the cup slightly above the table and gives it the quiet formality of a piece made for a moment worth marking. It arrives in a wooden box signed and sealed by the artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs this piece is entirely handmade in Japan, only one is available. Slight variations in glaze, colour, and texture may occur, and actual appearance may differ slightly depending on your digital device. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e■\u003c\/span\u003e What's included? One (1) Sake Cup in a Wooden Gift Box\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e■\u003c\/span\u003e Made in Japan, Kutani ware\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e■\u003c\/span\u003e Size: 8.5 cm Diameter x 3 cm Height\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e■ Material: Ceramic\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e🎁 Comes with a wooden box. Great as a gift!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kutani","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53901693255985,"sku":"ST01","price":588.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0486\/0366\/0445\/files\/KutaniwareSakeCup-Rabbit-osaracraftedinjapan_6.jpg?v=1776925647","url":"https:\/\/osara.com.au\/products\/kutani-ware-sake-cup-rabbit","provider":"Osara Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}