Kutani Ware Umekiku Set

At a glance

- Four hand finished Kutani ware pieces by Seikou Kiln, Ishikawa, all carrying the Umekiku (plum and chrysanthemum) pattern, the only one in Seikou's range sold across every piece they make
- Umekiku pairs two flowers long seen together in Japanese design: ume for quiet resilience, kiku for longevity
- Kutani yaki (九谷焼) porcelain, a coloured tradition some 350 years old; Seikou Kiln opened in 1935 in Terai, Ishikawa

This set includes:
- 1 x Seikou Kiln Kutani Ware Plate, Umekiku pattern
- 1 x Seikou Kiln Kutani Ware Mug, Umekiku pattern
- 1 x Seikou Kiln Kutani Ware Lucky Cup, Umekiku pattern
- 1 x Seikou Kiln Kutani Ware Rice Bowl, Umekiku pattern

Plate, mug, lucky cup, and rice bowl, all four carrying the same Umekiku pattern, the only one in our Seikou Kiln's range that runs across every piece they make. Plum and chrysanthemum are paired often in Japanese design, and for good reason: ume flowers while snow is still on the ground, a symbol of quiet resilience, while kiku, the chrysanthemum, is Japan's flower of longevity and the same one that sits on the Imperial seal.

Kutani yaki began in Japan's early Edo period, in the 17th century, in Kutani village in what is now Ishikawa Prefecture, a coloured porcelain tradition now some 350 years old. Seikou Kiln opened in 1935 in Terai, Ishikawa, and its transfer paper is developed in house, applied by hand until the seams disappear entirely, close enough to hand painting that it is genuinely hard to tell apart.

A full table setting in one pattern, this set suits everything from breakfast to a proper dinner, and makes a considered gift for someone setting up a first home.