Porcelain Sake Cup - Chequered

This chequered sake cup is crafted by Baizan-gama, one of the oldest kilns in Tobe, Ehime Prefecture. Porcelain created in Tobe is referred to as Tobe-yaki and often features hand-painted patterns in gosu, an indigo blue pigment made from cobalt oxide, on a white porcelain body.

The process of crafting Tobe-yaki begins with skilled potters forming clay bodies of porcelain by hand. These are then left to air dry for several days before an initial bisque firing. The clay is fired at temperatures over 900 degrees Celsius in a noborigama (a climbing kiln) built with large, heat-resistant bricks. Once the porcelain is cooled, gosu is applied via an underglaze method, then covered in a transparent glaze and fired for a second time at over 1200 degrees Celsius.

The chequered patterns are painted using a technique known as tsuketate-kaki (contourless drawing) where each brush stroke creates a painted line of the pattern on a blank canvas with no outline.

Dishwasher and microwave safe.

Shikoku

The island of Shikoku is divided into four prefectures. All of these can be visited on the 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage around the island. The area is also home to Naoshima, a small island in the Inland Sea, known for its many contemporary art installations and museums while the Tokushima Prefecture is famous for its cultivation of Japanese indigo.