{"product_id":"kutani-mejiro-bird-mug","title":"Kutani Mejiro Bird Mug | Seikō Kiln, Three Birds Branch, 300 ml","description":"\u003cp\u003eA bright, peaceable morning mug. Three small Mejiro birds — green-headed, yellow-throated, blue-tailed — sit close together on a hand-painted branch, with turquoise leaves and small yellow berries rounding out the scene. Made in Ishikawa Prefecture by Seikō Kiln (青郊窯), one of Kutani's most-respected contemporary workshops, on classic Kutani-ware white porcelain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is a Mejiro?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e目白 \/ Mejiro (Japanese white-eye \/ \u003cem\u003eZosterops japonicus\u003c\/em\u003e) is a small songbird native to Japan — green back, yellow throat, distinctive white eye-ring, and a clear, lilting song. They appear in early spring on plum, cherry, and citrus trees, often in pairs or small groups, fluffed against the cold. In Japanese painting and ceramics, Mejiro symbolize early spring, gentle companionship, and an everyday sense of warmth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy \"three birds\" matters\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost Mejiro mugs from competing Kutani workshops feature ONE bird on a branch. Seikō Kiln specifically composes three Mejiro across the wraparound design — typically a cuddled pair plus a watching third — as a friendlier, more populated scene. The composition is the signature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe 13 painted details on this mug\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree Mejiro birds (green head, yellow throat, white belly, blue tail feathers)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"Cuddled pair + watching third\" composition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand-drawn brown branch with iron-oxide dotted bark texture\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYellow round berries clustered along the branch \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTurquoise \/ teal painted leaves with darker venation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSecond leaf cluster on the back side near the handle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrown iron-oxide rim line (Tetsue 鉄絵) — Kutani signature finishing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCobalt-blue base line above the foot\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSubtly faceted rim (~12-sided cross-section)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLoop ear handle in matching white porcelain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e青郊 (Seikō) workshop signature on the bottom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInside continuation of the brown iron-oxide rim line\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWraparound composition — the branch and birds extend continuously around the body\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Kutani ware and Seikō Kiln\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKutani ware (九谷焼) is one of Japan's most decorated porcelain traditions, originating in 1655 in Ishikawa Prefecture. The \"Kutani Five Colors\" — green, yellow, red, purple, and navy blue — applied as overglaze enamels on white porcelain define the tradition. Seikō Kiln (青郊窯, literally \"Blue Suburbs\") is a contemporary Kutani workshop in Komatsu, Ishikawa, known for clean, illustrative bird-and-floral motifs that translate the four-century-old tradition into mugs and tableware sized for daily use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eUse cases\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSingle coffee, latte, hojicha, sencha, or matcha (300 mL is a comfortable single-cup pour)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHand-friendly with a comfortable loop handle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDaily-use mug, not display-only\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy three birds and not one?\u003c\/strong\u003e Seikō Kiln's signature composition for this Mejiro design — most other Kutani workshops paint a single bird. The cuddled pair + watching third is a friendlier scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this microwave \/ dishwasher safe?\u003c\/strong\u003e The maker does not state this. Treat as hand-wash hand-painted ware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the yellow berries?\u003c\/strong\u003e Likely loquat (枇杷) or mandarin (蜜柑) — both are traditional Mejiro perches in Japanese ceramic painting. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill the painted colors fade?\u003c\/strong\u003e No — these are kiln-fired overglaze enamels, not surface application. Treat as you would any porcelain (hand-wash recommended).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the mug shaped slightly faceted at the rim?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes — the rim is subtly polygonal (12-sided cross-section) rather than perfectly circular. That's a Seikō Kiln craftsmanship detail, not a defect.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ZenKiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487575720166,"sku":null,"price":52.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/5392\/5350\/files\/il_fullxfull.7474300611_sdym.jpg?v=1774622193","url":"https:\/\/zen-kiln.com\/en-ca\/products\/kutani-mejiro-bird-mug","provider":"ZenKiln","version":"1.0","type":"link"}