{"product_id":"24k-gold-kintsugi-kyoto-sake-cup-the-hummingbirds-gaze","title":"24K Gold Kintsugi Kyoto Sake Cup | The Hummingbird's Gaze","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"container\"\u003e\n\u003carticle aria-label=\"Kyoto Porcelain in Red\"\u003e\n\u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\" aria-labelledby=\"kyoto-porcelain-in-red\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"kyoto-porcelain-in-red\" style=\"font-size: 1em; color: rgb(178, 137, 91); margin: 0 0 6px 0; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eKyoto Porcelain in Red\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; color: #333; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eKyoto ware developed alongside the old capital's tea culture, producing elegant vessels for sencha and sake. This delicate footed cup has thin porcelain walls, an iron-red overglaze, a white interior, and a dark rim. Its original gold and silver cranes were lost during restoration, leaving a red ground for a new painted design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 8px 0 0 0;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(178, 137, 91);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBorn of Kyoto’s Heritage: \u003c\/strong\u003eThis piece too is authentic Kyo-yaki pottery, handcrafted using time-honored techniques and refined by centuries of Japanese artistry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(178, 137, 91);\"\u003eLearn more → \u003ca rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Discover the Art and Heritage of Kyoto Ware Pottery\" href=\"https:\/\/www.t-nishikawa.co.jp\/en\/story\/p.php?id=5\" style=\"color: rgb(178, 137, 91);\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Art and Technique of Kyoto Ware\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\" aria-labelledby=\"restored-and-painted-in-urushi\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"restored-and-painted-in-urushi\" style=\"font-size: 1em; color: rgb(178, 137, 91); margin: 0 0 6px 0; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eRestored and Painted in Urushi\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; color: #333; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eOver four months, Maki Mizuno, a lacquer artist who holds a degree in Lacquer Arts from Kyoto City University of Arts and has been recognized in Shiga's juried art exhibitions, restored a tiny rim chip with natural urushi and built a smooth foundation. She sprinkled 24K marufun (spherical gold powder) over the restored area in the maki-e manner and sealed it with a thin coat of raw urushi to create one durable layer. The final roiro finish requires exceptional skill and meticulous hand-polishing, giving the gold a rich, deep luster. She also painted two hummingbirds in pale blue-green pigmented urushi in the urushi-e technique. Food-safe, the cup can be used for sake or tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\" aria-labelledby=\"two-hummingbirds\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"two-hummingbirds\" style=\"font-size: 1em; color: rgb(178, 137, 91); margin: 0 0 6px 0; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eTwo Hummingbirds\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin: 0; color: #333; line-height: 1.7;\"\u003eOne hummingbird perches beneath the small gold accent, its beak angled up as if admiring it; another flies on the opposite side, adding lightness and movement to the vivid red porcelain. Both were painted with a fine brush in pigmented urushi, the urushi-e technique more than a thousand years old that contemporary lacquer artists such as Mizuno continue in their own work. Here the two birds lift a small kintsugi restoration into a work of lacquer art, and the cup becomes painting as well as porcelain. Symbols of good fortune, they lend the cup a playful elegance. Cherishing it over time helps carry forward both Kyoto's ceramic heritage and the artistry of Japanese urushi.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"The Kintsugi Labo JAPAN","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67884292178109,"sku":"UN0059","price":972.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0510\/1803\/9485\/files\/kintsugi-sake-cup-kyoto-ware-24k-gold-front-un0059.jpg?v=1792733017","url":"https:\/\/kintsugilabo.com\/en-au\/products\/24k-gold-kintsugi-kyoto-sake-cup-the-hummingbirds-gaze","provider":"The Kintsugi Labo JAPAN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}