• Close-up of hand-painted floral and leaf motif on the cup
  • Arita Imari Coffee Cup & Saucer — Hand-Painted Shu-Dami Shikunshi (view 2)
  • Top view of hand-painted cup and saucer with Four Gentlemen motif
  • Angled view of red and blue porcelain cup and saucer set
  • Side view of Arita hand-painted coffee cup with red floral detail
  • Arita Four Gentlemen coffee cup and saucer set in hand-painted porcelain
  • Cup and saucer displayed together on white background
  • Underside of cup showing porcelain base and mark
  • Top view of saucer showing Four Gentlemen decoration
  • Underside of saucer showing porcelain foot ring and base
  • Blue presentation box with Arita coffee cup and saucer set
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ZenKiln

Arita Imari Coffee Cup & Saucer — Hand-Painted Shu-Dami Shikunshi

£56.00 GBP £39.00 GBP
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  • 200 ml
  • Porcelain
  • Made in Japan

A hand-painted Arita-yaki / Hasami-yaki coffee cup and saucer set decorated in the classic 古伊万里 (Old Imari) cartouche tradition. Four alternating panels move around the cup body — two saturated vermillion (shu-dami 朱濃) overglaze enamel grounds filled with a fine plum-blossom diaper, alternating with two white reserves painted with shikunshi (四君子, the Four Noble Plants — plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum) and a small blue bird perched on a flowering branch. The saucer carries the same four-panel scheme.

The motif — Four Noble Plants (Shikunshi)

四君子 (“the four gentlemen”) is a Confucian set of four virtuous plants — plum for resilience through winter, orchid for quiet integrity, bamboo for upright flexibility, chrysanthemum for steadfast longevity. As a decorative cycle on porcelain it dates back to Ming-dynasty Chinese precedents and was adopted into Imari export ware from the late 17th century onward.

Why this is Imari-style

“Imari” refers to the port through which Arita-yaki porcelain was historically shipped abroad. By the early Edo period, the term described a recognisable decorative grammar: alternating panels of saturated overglaze red and white sometsuke reserves with multi-colour enamels. This set follows that grammar in red + blue + green + yellow polychrome (no gold), placing it in the everyday-use Imari tradition rather than the high-court 金蘭手 kinrande line.

At the table

  • Espresso or short coffee (~200 mL is generous for espresso, restrained for filter)
  • Japanese tea — sencha, hojicha, gyokuro — handheld with handle
  • Wagashi or fruit dessert plating on the saucer
  • Display piece on an open shelf paired with cobalt-blue stacking ware

Details & dimensions

Set contents: 1 cup with handle + 1 matching saucer
Material: Porcelain (磁器), Arita-yaki + Hasami-yaki lineage
Decoration: Sometsuke (染付 underglaze cobalt) + Akae (赤絵 overglaze enamel) + Shu-dami (朱濃 thick vermillion ground)
Motif: Shikunshi 四君子 (plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum) + komon plum diaper + small blue bird
Brand line: くらしの器 (Kurashi-no-utsuwa)
Cup: ~9.1 cm × ~7.3 cm (~3.6″ × ~2.9″), ~200 mL (~6.8 fl oz)
Saucer: ~14.3 cm × ~2.2 cm (~5.6″ × ~0.9″)
Foot mark: cursive blue underglaze workshop signature + 美術有田焼 gold cooperative sticker

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

Branded navy keshōbako (化粧箱) presentation box with Kurashi-no-utsuwa series brand card included — gift-ready as shipped.

Fragile items are additionally packed with protective wrapping and cushioning materials for international delivery.

Care instructions

Hand wash with mild detergent and a soft sponge — avoid abrasive scrubbers.
Do not soak; dry promptly with a soft towel.
Microwave / dishwasher: not supplier-certified — treat as hand-wash only to protect the overglaze enamel and shu-dami red ground.
No sudden temperature changes (don't pour boiling water onto cold porcelain).

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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