KOUSYUHAI Cup (Small), Vermilion and Gold Brushstroke

At a glance

- Arita-yaki (有田焼), Saga Prefecture; by Kihara (キハラ), Arita
- Vermilion and gold metallic overglaze applied after main firing, fired again at low temperature; hand wash only
- Small (100ml); for sake or fine spirits; hand wash only

Some cups are for every morning. This one is for the evenings worth remembering.

The Kousyuhai (香酒盃) is Kihara's Arita-yaki cup designed specifically around the ritual of drinking slowly: a curved interior that concentrates fragrance as you raise the cup, a narrowed rim that holds the aroma rather than letting it escape, and a form sized so that the volume of liquid stays small and the attention stays high. The S size holds approximately 100ml, which is the right amount of sake or a fine whisky when the point is to taste rather than to finish.

This cup carries a vermilion and gold brushstroke overglaze: the kind of mark that looks effortless and is anything but. Applied above the glaze surface in two precious metallic pigments, then fired at low temperature to lock the colour, the brushstroke catches the light differently from every angle.

Made in Arita, Saga Prefecture. Hand wash only.