Kutani Ware Porcelain Square Plate & Coaster

At a glance

• Works as both a drink coaster and a small plate for sweets, condiments or tea-side servings
• Flat square form gives the artwork an unusually uninterrupted surface
• Various designs range from iconic Japanese art to seasonal and auspicious motifs, each carrying a different cultural reference

A coaster does not usually ask to be looked at once the cup is lifted.

Seikou Kiln's square plate turns the small square format into a surface for Kutani colour and illustration. The porcelain piece can sit beneath a cup, but its shallow plate-like form also makes it useful for a chocolate, wagashi, condiment, small appetiser or something sweet beside tea.

That dual use gives it more reason to stay in rotation than a conventional coaster. Use it under a drink at one moment, then as a small serving piece when the table needs somewhere for just one or two bites.

The flat surface also gives each motif space to read clearly. Rather than treating the decoration as background pattern, the four designs draw on familiar Japanese imagery with their own cultural associations.

Hokusai Wave draws from Hokusai's Great Wave imagery, where the force and movement of the sea are set against the distant stillness of Mount Fuji. It brings one of Japan's most recognisable compositions into an everyday table piece.

Hokusai Red Fuji depicts the rare moment Mount Fuji appears red in the early morning light. Red Fuji has long been regarded as an auspicious image in Japan, giving the design a natural connection to gifting and celebratory use.

Cherry Blossom uses sakura, one of the clearest seasonal symbols in Japanese culture. Cherry blossom is closely associated with the brief beauty of spring and the passing of the seasons, giving the piece a softer, more seasonal character.

Engimono means auspicious or lucky objects. The design brings together traditional good-fortune motifs, making it the most explicitly celebratory pattern in the group.

Seikou Kiln's overglaze decoration adds glossy colour and depth over the white porcelain. The decoration is hand-finished, so slight differences in colour and placement can occur between pieces.