Shippo — cloisonné — was held to match in beauty the seven treasures of Buddhist teaching: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, giant clam, coral and agate.

Kyoto Shippo
Shippo is a craft art with a thousand years of history and tradition, in which vitreous glaze is fired onto metal. The shippo that flowered in Kyoto — the centre of Japanese culture, and a first-magnitude star among them — is called Kyoto Shippo.

By a Master of Fifty Years
Among the makers of Kyoto Shippo there are only a handful with more than fifty years of experience, and Yoshihiro Akagawa is held to be one of the outstanding masters among them. The greatest mark of his technique is that he carries out alone — from making the base to the final polish — a craft that is normally divided among specialists. He has been commended as a person of merit in traditional industrial technique. Please enjoy the beauty of colour of a maker who stands at the centre of Kyoto Shippo.

Entirely Hand-Painted, One of a Kind
Every framed ceramic work we handle is a one-off, painted entirely by hand without transfers.

What Is Shippo?
Shippo is Japanese cloisonné: vitreous glaze fired onto a metal body, a craft with a thousand years of history. The name comes from the seven treasures of Buddhist teaching.

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
Brooch × 1, paulownia box, booklet.
Size: Height 11.5mm L 35mm W 45mm
As each piece is handmade, slight variations in size may occur.