Odate bentwood cup with ring

At a glance

- Odate Magewappa (大館曲げわっぱ), Akita Prefecture, METI-designated traditional craft
- By Kurikyu, sixth-generation workshop; master Shunji Kurimori, nationally recognised Contemporary Master Craftsman
- Akita-sugi cedar, cherry bark stitching; hand-applied urethane finish; available in six colours
- 8cm wide, 8.5cm tall; suits tea, water or cold drinks

Cedar has a warmth in the hand that ceramics never quite replicate. Not the borrowed warmth of a heated cup, but something that lives in the grain itself. This is apparent the first time you pick up a Kurikyu magewappa cup.

Made from Akita-sugi cedar, the cup is steamed until pliable, then bent and fastened with sakura-kawa (桜皮, cherry bark) without glue or nails. A contrasting ring band wraps the body, adding grip and a quiet visual rhythm. The exterior carries a hand-applied urethane finish that protects the wood and keeps it clean whilst the natural cedar character stays present. Kurikyu has been working this craft in Odate, Akita, since 1874, now in its sixth generation under master Shunji Kurimori, a nationally recognised Contemporary Master Craftsman (現代の名工). Odate Magewappa is a METI-designated traditional craft. Available in six colours; the ring band varies by colourway, each one giving the same cup a distinctly different personality.

At 8cm wide and 8.5cm tall, it suits tea, water, or cold drinks. The kind of cup that gets used more than any other on the shelf.