A 1937 Pre-War Fukagawa Seiji Tea Set — Imperial Household Purveyor, Signed Paulownia Box, Almost Unused.
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a complete six-piece tea service from Fukagawa Seiji 深川製磁 — founded in 1894 in Arita, Saga Prefecture, and granted the title of Kunaisho Goyo-tashi (宮内省御用達, “Purveyor to the Imperial Household”) in 1910. The set comprises one side-handle kyusu teapot and five matching yunomi cups, decorated in cobalt underglaze (sometsuke 染付) with stylized blue florals against a luminous white porcelain body, finished with hand-applied gilt rims and a gilt finial.
The set has rested in its original signed paulownia tomobako (共桐木箱) for nearly nine decades. Remarkably, the factory-original transparent protective sleeve on the teapot spout is still present — strong evidence the set was never put into daily use.
Set composition
- 1 × Kyusu (横手急須, side-handle teapot) — H9.5 × ⌀10 cm body (3.7″ × 3.9″), 273 g (9.6 oz), with internal honeycomb ceramic strainer
- 5 × Yunomi (湯呑, tea cups) — rim ⌀9 × foot ⌀4 × H5.7 cm (3.5″ × 1.6″ × 2.2″), 78 g (2.75 oz) each
- 1 × Original signed paulownia wood box (kiribako 桐木箱)
- 2 × Enclosed paper cards — one vintage company-history insert, one modern care insert (the modern insert was added in later years by a previous keeper; the vintage card is original to the set)
- 1 × Original factory spout protector (transparent silicone sleeve with hanging cord)
Marks & seals (provenance evidence)
- Cup foot: Mt. Fuji + 「深川製」 hand-brushed cobalt underglaze (standard Fukagawa Seiji mark)
- Kyusu lid interior: identical Mt. Fuji + 「深川製」 mark (premium pre-war single-marking standard)
- Tomobako: brush-written 「茶器揃 宮内省御用達 深川製磁」 in sumi ink
- Tomobako red seals: 「美術有田燒」 (Art Arita Ware grade), Mt. Fuji + 深川 square seal, and a quality-inspection edge stamp
- Dating evidence: the box vocabulary 「宮内省」 was retired in 1947 when the ministry was reorganized — placing this set definitively before 1947. The original owner identified the production year as Showa 12 (1937).
Condition — Almost unused (未使用に近い)
All six ceramic pieces are intact and free of chips, cracks, kiln scars, and gilt wear. The interior honeycomb strainer shows no tea residue. The original spout protector — which would normally be removed and discarded on first use — is still in place, supporting the “almost unused” classification.
Cultural context — Fukagawa Seiji rose to international prominence with its Grand Prize at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle and remains one of the foundational houses of modern Arita ware. The high-temperature 1350°C white porcelain body and the signature “Fukagawa Blue” tonal-gradient underglaze are unmistakable hallmarks of the studio. Pre-war Fukagawa with original tomobako is uncommon on the secondary market; complete six-piece sets in this condition are rarer still.
Use — Suited to sencha green tea or gyokuro service for a small gathering, displayed as a collectible heirloom, or as a museum-quality gift for a serious collector of Japanese ceramics.
Care — Hand-wash only with mild, neutral detergent and a soft cloth. Do not microwave (gilt rim and gilt finial contain metal). Do not dishwash. Avoid sudden temperature changes. Store the box in a low-humidity environment away from direct sunlight.
Reference Conversions
Kyusu: 9.5 × 10 cm = 3.7″ × 3.9″; 273 g = 9.6 oz
Yunomi: 9 × 4 × 5.7 cm = 3.5″ × 1.6″ × 2.2″; 78 g = 2.75 oz
Total ceramic weight: 663 g = 1.46 lb
Capacity estimates (not supplier-published): kyusu ~250 mL (8.5 fl oz), yunomi ~80 mL (2.7 fl oz) each
• Originally made by Fukagawa Seiji 深川製磁 (Imperial Household Purveyor, est. 1894) in Arita, Saga Prefecture, Japan in 1937 (Showa 12), curated by ZenKiln
About ZenKiln — A Japan-based curator connecting international collectors with Japan’s artisan ceramic tradition. We work closely with the kilns, workshops, and makers featured in our shop — each one disclosed in our About section — and hand-pack every piece in Japan for safe delivery worldwide.
Shipping — Hand-packed in the original paulownia box, wrapped with archival tissue and a custom double-walled outer carton. Insured international tracked shipping from Japan, typically 7–14 business days. Duties & customs are the buyer’s responsibility.
