{"product_id":"4888","title":"Gagyu Kiln Japanese Sake Set - Red and White Plum Blossoms, Arita Ware","description":"\u003cp\u003eA set of a \u003cem\u003etokkuri\u003c\/em\u003e (sake flask) and \u003cem\u003eguinomi\u003c\/em\u003e painted with red and white plum blossoms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Ninsei of Kyoto, Utsutsugawa of the West”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Ninsei of Kyoto, Utsutsugawa of the West.” Utsutsugawa ware, known as a phantom ware, had long been without a successor since the end of the Edo period. The 12th-generation Yokoishi Gagyu set out to revive the traditional technique called \u003cem\u003ehakeme\u003c\/em\u003e (brush-stroke), worked across a dark brown porcelain surface with an atmosphere all its own, and through his efforts the ware was brought back to life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSea and Grassland in Hakeme\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe feeling of a vast sea or grassland drawn in \u003cem\u003ehakeme\u003c\/em\u003e — the hallmark of Utsutsugawa ware, designated an Intangible Cultural Property of Nagasaki Prefecture — is beautifully expressed in this Japanese sake set, where red and white plum blossoms are in full bloom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Arita Ware\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArita 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy a Paulownia Box\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaulownia 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContents and Dimensions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTokkuri (sake flask) × 1, Sake cup × 2, paulownia box, booklet.\u003cbr\u003eTokkuri: \/ Height: 11cm \/ Diameter: 6.5cm \/ Weight: 170g \/ Sake cup: \/ Height: 4.2cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAs each piece is handmade, slight variations in size may occur.\u003c\/em\u003e","brand":"Gagyu Kiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54705298637075,"sku":"4573593924238","price":36900.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0797\/4227\/1763\/files\/4888_01_640.jpg?v=1789349214","url":"https:\/\/www.jtopia.com\/products\/4888","provider":"JTOPIA global","version":"1.0","type":"link"}