Arita Ware Glasses Stand

At a glance

- Arita ware (有田焼) porcelain, presented as tokusen (特選), a specially selected line; a dense, all over floral pattern, in blue on white or red and blue on white
- Rests a folded pair of glasses upright on its sloped stand; equally happy simply left out as a small ornament
- Approx. 14 x 9.5 x 8cm; hand wash recommended

This is not the most obvious object to find in a Japanese porcelain range, and that is rather the point. A sloped stand, covered in a dense floral pattern typical of Arita's decorative porcelain, blue on white or a warmer red and blue on white, holds a folded pair of glasses upright rather than left flat on a nightstand.

Arita, in Saga Prefecture, has made porcelain since 1616, the birthplace of Japan's first porcelain, and this piece is presented as tokusen, a specially selected line, on its own presentation card inside the box, signed by the workshop as Shinoei.

At 14cm long, it suits a bedside table or a desk, holding a pair of reading glasses ready for the next chapter, or simply left out as a small, characterful ornament in its own right. An easy, slightly unusual gift for someone who has everything else.