Arita Kakiemon-Style Coffee Cup & Saucer, Ume Kachō Plum Blossom & Bird, 190 ml

Hand-decorated Kakiemon-style (柿右衛門写し) coffee cup and saucer by Craft Nanpu — ume kachō 梅花鳥 ("plum blossom and bird") pattern in 5-color overglaze enamel on a nigoshide-style milk-white porcelain body. Cup base signed with a cobalt-blue underglaze maker mark. ~8.3 cm cup × ~15.5 cm saucer, ~190 ml capacity. Arrives in Craft Nanpu's "Kurashi no Utsuwa" decorative gift box.

The plum blossom (ume) in Japanese symbolism

The Japanese plum (ume 梅) — distinct from cherry (sakura) — is the FIRST flower to bloom each year, opening on bare branches in late winter when snow is still on the ground. In Japanese symbolism the plum stands for perseverance, renewal, and the harbinger of spring; it is one of the "Three Friends of Winter" (歳寒三友) and the central member of "shōchikubai" 松竹梅 (pine-bamboo-plum), the auspicious trio used in New Year decoration, weddings, and celebratory tableware. The pairing of plum with a perched bird (kachō 花鳥) is one of the most foundational compositions in East Asian decorative art.

Why Kakiemon-style and Craft Nanpu

The Kakiemon school was founded by Sakaida Kakiemon I in mid-17th-century Arita and is famous for the milk-white nigoshide 濁手 porcelain ground and the disciplined 5-color overglaze enamel palette with strong asymmetric composition. Today, "Kakiemon-utsushi" 柿右衛門写し refers to the broader Arita / Hasami commercial production line that continues this decorative vocabulary — a recognized tradition, separate from the Sakaida Kakiemon family kiln, produced by partner workshops like Craft Nanpu.

How to use

• As an everyday coffee or tea cup with a refined daily presence
• As a gift cup-and-saucer for a tea lover, anniversary couple, retiring colleague, or New Year celebration (ume is the traditional New Year flower)
• Display on a sideboard or shelf — the ume-kachō pattern reads as a small painted scene without flowers
• Especially suitable for early-spring / late-winter gifting (when ume is in season)

Common questions

Is this plum (ume) or cherry (sakura)?

It is plum (ume 梅) — distinct from cherry. The two are easy to confuse in painted form, but their cultural meanings differ significantly. Plum is the late-winter / early-spring flower of perseverance and renewal; cherry is mid-spring fleeting beauty (mono no aware). The cobalt-blue gnarled trunk and dot-cluster floret rendering on this cup are the Japanese pictorial conventions for plum, not cherry.

Is this a real Kakiemon piece?

This is a "Kakiemon-utsushi" 柿右衛門写し ("Kakiemon-style") piece — meaning it follows the Kakiemon school's decorative tradition, but is NOT made by the Sakaida Kakiemon family kiln. The Kakiemon style is a recognized Japanese decorative tradition produced today by multiple Arita and Hasami kilns, including Craft Nanpu. Original Sakaida Kakiemon family pieces are signed "柿右衛門" with documented lineage and museum-grade pricing — those are a separate category.

What is the meaning of ume kachō (梅花鳥)?

Ume kachō means "plum-flower-bird" — a classical Kakiemon decorative composition pairing a stylized songbird with a gnarled plum (ume) branch in early bloom. It is one of the most foundational kachō (花鳥, "flower-and-bird") motifs in East Asian decorative art.

What does the base mark say?

The cup base bears a 2-character cobalt-blue underglaze signature in cursive script — the kiln/painter studio mark within Craft Nanpu's commercial Kakiemon-utsushi line. The exact character reading requires direct examination; we cite it here as a maker mark without attributing to a specific named individual.

Will it work with hot coffee?

Yes — the cup is fully glazed inside and watertight. Hand-wash only to preserve the painted surface.