{"product_id":"arita-hasami-tsugumi-bird-leaf-plate","title":"Arita Hasami Leaf Plate, Hand-Painted Thrush Birds on Berry Branch 15 cm","description":"\u003cp\u003eA small leaf-shaped porcelain plate from the Arita-yaki \/ Hasami-yaki neighbouring porcelain regions of Kyushu, hand-painted with two thrush birds — one perched in cobalt blue on a slim red branch hung with red berries and green leaf-buds, one walking below in orange and black. This piece is classified under both \u003cstrong\u003eArita-yaki (有田焼)\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eHasami-yaki (波佐見焼)\u003c\/strong\u003e — two neighbouring porcelain traditions on either side of the Saga \/ Nagasaki prefectural border, both designated METI Traditional Crafts (Arita 1977, Hasami 1978), sharing the same kaolin clay, the same 1300°C reduction firing, and the same overglaze-enamel decorative idiom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plate's silhouette is shaped like a single leaf — wider in the middle, tapering to a soft point at each end — and the painted \"branch\" runs diagonally across the surface to echo the plate's own outline, with the blue bird at one end of the branch and the walking orange bird offset toward the opposite end. The motif is read as \u003cstrong\u003eki-no-ha 木の葉\u003c\/strong\u003e (leaf) plus \u003cstrong\u003etsugumi 鴫\u003c\/strong\u003e (thrush) — a quiet pairing from Japanese seasonal vocabulary, where thrushes are associated with autumn and winter berry-eating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe base of the plate carries a hand-brushed cobalt-blue kanji signature — \u003cstrong\u003e寿 (kotobuki)\u003c\/strong\u003e, \"longevity \/ felicitation\" — applied in underglaze beneath the clear gloss. The signature is presented as observed; we have not been able to attribute it to a specific named workshop with certainty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArita-yaki \u0026amp; Hasami-yaki porcelain from Saga and Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln. Arita and Hasami are two neighbouring porcelain towns — Arita (Saga) is the older, more famous of the two (Japan's first porcelain town, 1616), while Hasami (Nagasaki) historically produced the everyday tableware that ran in parallel volumes to Arita's higher-grade and export wares. In modern practice the two have converged in many product lines, which is why pieces like this are classified under both ware-lines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eUse \u0026amp; care\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuitable for everyday use as a side-dish plate, sweets plate (kashizara 菓子皿), or display piece. This piece is both microwave and dishwasher safe. Iroe overglaze decoration is more durable than gold accents and tolerates standard dishwasher cycles. Avoid scouring pads on the painted areas.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ZenKiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487590039782,"sku":"ZK-PLATE-NANPU-ARITA-HASAMI-TSUGUMI-LEAF-15CM","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/5392\/5350\/files\/il_fullxfull.7490061328_klt9.jpg?v=1774622249","url":"https:\/\/zen-kiln.com\/en-gb\/products\/arita-hasami-tsugumi-bird-leaf-plate","provider":"ZenKiln","version":"1.0","type":"link"}