A meoto pair of rice bowls painted with white and red plum blossoms, which endure the winter cold to be among the first to open.

“Ninsei of Kyoto, Utsutsugawa of the West”
This is how collectors of ceramics describe Utsutsugawa ware, once called a phantom ware. Left without a successor from the end of the Edo period onwards, Utsutsugawa ware was brought back to life by the hand of the 12th-generation Yokoishi Gagyu.

The Hakeme Technique
Utsutsugawa ware is distinguished by its thin construction and by the traditional technique called hakeme (brush-stroke), worked across dark brown clay. Its motifs evoke the sea at one moment and a mysterious grassland at another. Today the 15th generation carries on the revival of Utsutsugawa ware entrusted to him by his predecessor, while continuing to create new hakeme.

A Phantom Ware Reborn
Leaping across two hundred and fifty years, the phantom Utsutsugawa ware has been revived for the present day. With its distinctive hakeme technique it sings the scenes of nature beautifully — a superb work truly worthy of the name of an Intangible Cultural Property designated by Nagasaki Prefecture.

About Arita Ware
Arita ware is the origin of Japanese porcelain. In 1616, under the rule of the Saga domain lord Naoshige Nabeshima, pottery stone was found in what is now Saga Prefecture and production began. Because the wares were made in Arita and shipped from the port of Imari, they are also known as Imari ware. Carried to Europe by the Dutch East India Company — the only trading partner permitted during Japan’s period of national seclusion — the porcelain was called “white gold” and furnished the courts of royalty and nobility.

What Is a Meoto Pair?
A meoto pair is a set of two vessels intended to be used together by two people, most often a couple. In Japan it is a long-standing form of gift for a wedding, an anniversary, or a new home — the pair itself carries the wish.

Why a Paulownia Box
Paulownia wood is light, resists moisture and insects, and moves with changes in humidity — which is why it has been used in Japan for centuries to store what is valuable. A piece delivered in a paulownia box arrives ready to give, and the box itself is part of the gift.

Contents and Dimensions
Rice bowl × 2, booklet, paulownia box.
Height: 5cm Diameter: 12cm
As each piece is handmade, slight variations in size may occur.