Kutani Plum Blossom Sake Set

This is a very sweet sake set with lovely traditional motifs of red and white plum blossoms hand painted on them. In East Asian culture, plum blossoms (Prunus mume, known as meihua in China and ume in Japan) are deeply revered as the ultimate symbol of resilience, perseverance, and hope. Because they brave the freezing cold to bloom in late winter—often while snow is still on the branches—they represent strength through adversity. This is made by the craftsmen in famous Kutani Kiln in Kanazawa city in Ishikawa prefecture. Kutani ware is a traditional style of painted ceramic and porcelain in Ishikawa Prefecture, famous for its vivid overglaze enamel paintings and bold use of colour. It is a ceramic and porcelain tradition named after Kutani village in the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture (including Kaga, Kanazawa, Komatsu, and Nomi). It is best known for Kutani gosai—a striking five-color palette featuring red, yellow, green, purple, and dark blue/Prussian blue. The main feature is its detailed overglaze decoration. Artisans paint colorful pigments onto an already glazed and fired piece, then fire it a second time. In 1655, porcelain stone was discovered in a mine in Kutani village under the rule of Maeda Toshiharu, lord of the Daishōji Domain. Lord Toshiharu sent a worker named Gotō Saijirō to Arita in Hizen Province to learn the secrets of making porcelain. A local kiln was set up, producing early pieces now called Ko-Kutani (“Old Kutani”). These rare pieces feature bold designs in the five classic colors or heavy green and yellow coverage (aote). However, for reasons still unknown, the original kiln abruptly closed around 50 years later in the early 1700s. Roughly 100 years later, the Kaga domain revived production by opening new kilns, such as the Kasugayama and Yoshidaya kilns, which copied the old styles. Roughly 100 years later, the Kaga domain revived production by opening new kilns, such as the Kasugayama and Yoshidaya kilns, which copied the old styles. Modern Kutani ware continues to evolve in Ishikawa Prefecture, where contemporary artists blend traditional hand-painting techniques with new glaze and firing methods.