• Arita bird and floral coffee cup and saucer set in hand-painted porcelain
  • Blue gift box with Arita bird and floral cup and saucer set
  • Close-up of bird and floral motif on a hand-painted Arita cup
  • Angled view of Arita bird and floral cup and saucer set
  • Side view of hand-painted porcelain coffee cup and saucer in Arita ware
  • Front view of Arita bird and floral cup and saucer set on white background
  • Top view of Arita porcelain cup and saucer showing painted detail
  • Detail of the footed base and painted motif on an Arita coffee cup
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ZenKiln

Arita Kakiemon-Style Coffee Cup & Saucer, Kikkachō Bird & Chrysanthemum, 190 ml

£35.00 GBP £27.00 GBP
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  • 190 ml
  • Porcelain
  • Not microwave-safe
  • Hand-wash only
  • Made in Japan

Hand-decorated Kakiemon-style (柿右衛門写し) coffee cup and saucer by Craft Nanpu — kikkachō 菊花鳥 ("chrysanthemum and bird") pattern in 5-color overglaze enamel on a nigoshide-style milk-white porcelain body. 190 ml capacity, ~8.3 cm cup × ~15.5 cm saucer.

Why Kakiemon-style

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

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, retiring colleague, or anniversary couple
  • Display on a sideboard or shelf — the kikkachō pattern reads beautifully without flowers
  • Cup-and-saucer pairs are traditional gifts for engagement, wedding registries, and milestone birthdays in Japanese gift culture

Common questions

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 recognised 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 kikkachō pattern?

菊花鳥 (kikkachō) means "chrysanthemum, flower, and bird" — a classical Kakiemon decorative composition combining a stylized songbird perched on a branch with chrysanthemum (kiku 菊) blossoms and ornamental leaves. It is one of the most recurring motifs in Kakiemon-school decoration alongside uzura (鶉, quail), ume-kachō (梅花鳥, plum-flower-bird), and shōchikubai (松竹梅, pine-bamboo-plum).

What is "nigoshide"?

Nigoshide (濁手, "cloudy hand") is the milk-white porcelain ground developed by Sakaida Kakiemon I in the 17th century to make overglaze colors read more vividly. It is the visual signature of the Kakiemon school — the porcelain reads warm-white rather than the cooler bluish-white of typical Imari porcelain.

Will it work with a tea bag / drip coffee?

Yes — the cup is fully glazed inside and watertight; capacity 190 ml comfortably holds a single coffee or tea serving. We recommend hand washing only to preserve the painted surface.

Is the box included?

Yes — every piece arrives in Craft Nanpu's original decorative gift box (化粧箱) labeled "Kurashi no Utsuwa" (くらしの器 / "Vessels for Daily Life"). The box is part of the gift presentation.

Details & dimensions

Cup: ~8.3 cm (3.3") diameter at rim × ~7 cm (2.8") total height including footed pedestal base. C-handle suited to a single finger.

Saucer: ~15.5 cm (6.1") diameter × ~2.3 cm (0.9") rim height. The cup's foot ring fits within the saucer's central well.

Capacity: ~190 ml (6.4 fl oz) — comfortable single coffee or tea serving, slightly larger than an espresso cup, slightly smaller than a Western mug.

Form: Western coffee-cup form with pedestal foot — designed for European-style coffee or tea service rather than Japanese yunomi-style hand-warming.

Shipping, duties & delivery

Ships from Japan.

Orders are typically dispatched within 1–3 business days after payment is confirmed.

Estimated delivery times vary by destination and may be affected by customs clearance, public holidays, and local carrier conditions.

Buyers are responsible for any customs duties, VAT, and import taxes that may apply in the destination country.

Packaging & gifting

Includes the original Craft Nanpu decorative gift box (化粧箱) from the "Kurashi no Utsuwa" (くらしの器, "Vessels for Daily Life") retail brand line. Blue paper box with white label bearing the 有田焼 (Arita-yaki) stamp.

Carefully packed for gifting and safe delivery from Japan. Fragile items are additionally packed with protective wrapping and cushioning materials for international delivery. Cup and saucer are nested with internal cushioning to prevent contact during transit.

The decorative box is part of the gift presentation — recipients typically retain it.

Care instructions

Hand wash only with mild soap and warm water.

Avoid the dishwasher and microwave — the painted surface is hand-applied overglaze enamel, which can abrade or fade with machine cycles. Although the porcelain body itself is dishwasher- and microwave-tolerant, the decorative painting is not.

Dry completely with a soft cloth before storing.

Avoid sudden temperature changes (e.g., pouring boiling water into a chilled cup, or running cold water over a hot cup) to protect the glaze and the painted surface.

Slight variations in brushwork between individual pieces are part of each cup's character — Kakiemon-style decoration is hand-painted by individual painters at the kiln.

Returns / damage support

Because many of our items are handmade, fragile, and shipped internationally from Japan, we do not accept returns or exchanges for change of mind, incorrect size expectations, or personal preference unless otherwise stated on the product page.

If your item arrives damaged, defective, or significantly different from the description, please contact us within 7 days of delivery with clear photos of the item and packaging.

Cancellations are accepted within 12 hours of purchase.

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