KOUSYUHAI Cup (Large), Green Irabo Glaze

At a glance

- Arita-yaki (有田焼), Saga Prefecture; by Kihara (キハラ), Arita
- Irabo (イラボ) glaze: feldspathic glaze with iron content; deep, varied green tones
- Large (300ml); fragrance-concentrating interior; dishwasher and microwave safe

A cup that holds colour the way a lake holds light.

The green irabo glaze is a traditional feldspathic glaze with iron content that produces deep, varied green tones shifting from forest-dark in the thicker pooled areas to pale jade at the edges. No two cups are tonally identical. The glaze has been used in Japanese ceramics for over three centuries; here it is applied to the KOUSYUHAI form, whose curved interior concentrates the fragrance of whatever is poured into it.

For whisky, shochu, or a cold gin the deep green of the cup makes the colour of the spirit visible in a way that plain glass or white ceramic cannot. For sake or green tea, the mineral character of the glaze offers a quietly beautiful contrast.

An object worth having on the table whether it is full or empty.

Made in Arita, Saga Prefecture. Dishwasher safe.