A Kyoto Cup in Cobalt
Kyoto ware embodies the refinement of a city whose tea masters have shaped Japanese taste for centuries. This lidded porcelain cup is painted in sometsuke blue throughout, and its surface is dense with the Uzu-komon pattern of fine swirls that evoke moving water. The pattern is banded with key-fret and basket-weave designs across the body and lid.
Born of Kyoto’s Heritage: This piece too is authentic Kyo-yaki pottery, handcrafted using time-honored techniques and refined by centuries of Japanese artistry.
Learn more → The Art and Technique of Kyoto Ware
Restored by Maki Mizuno
A single gold seam runs from the rim to the foot of the cup, crossing the cobalt swirls in one clean line. Maki Mizuno, a lacquer artist trained in lacquer arts at Kyoto City University of Arts, did the work. She brings a watercolor sensibility to urushi, and her lacquer work has been recognized in exhibitions. Over the course of four months, Mizuno rebuilt the break with natural urushi and finished the seam with 24K gold powder, achieving a roiro finish — the most refined surface in urushi — using methods passed down through generations of Japanese lacquer artists.
A Line Among the Patterns
Where the cup once broke, a single vertical line of gold now runs among its bands of swirls, key fret, and basket weave. The fracture has not been concealed; it has become another deliberate line in the composition. Secured by urushi beneath and gold above, the seam preserves the cup's history, creating a unique passage that no other piece possesses.
