{"product_id":"hagi-yaki-coffee-cup-saucer-set","title":"Hagi Yaki Pink Coffee Pair, Tsubakihidegama Himetsuchi Stoneware Cup \u0026 Saucer","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand-thrown Hagi-yaki coffee pair by Tsubakihidegama (椿秀窯)\u003c\/strong\u003e — set of 2 cups + 2 saucers in the kiln's signature 姫土 Himetsuchi (\"Princess Clay\") pink-cream body with translucent feldspathic glaze and natural kanyū 貫入 crackle network. Each cup ~180 ml. Hagi-yaki is one of Japan's Three Great Tea-Bowl Kilns (一楽二萩三唐津). Arrives in a decorative gift box (化粧箱).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\"Hagi no Nanabake\" — The Seven Changes of Hagi\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHagi-yaki is unlike most fine ceramics: it is designed to evolve. The body is intentionally soft-fired with a fine crackle (kanyū) glaze. As you drink coffee or tea, liquid seeps slowly into the crackle network, gradually deepening the color and softening the contrast over years. This is \"Hagi no nanabake\" 萩の七化け — \"the seven changes of Hagi\" — and it is why Hagi tea bowls are prized across Japanese tea ceremony as objects that improve in beauty with daily use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Tsubakihidegama and Hagi-yaki\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHagi-yaki has been produced in Yamaguchi Prefecture since the early 17th century, when Korean potters established kilns under the Mōri clan's patronage. In tea ceremony tradition, Hagi sits second in the prestigious \"Three Great Tea-Bowl Kilns\" ranking 一楽二萩三唐津 (Ichi-Raku Ni-Hagi San-Karatsu). Tsubakihidegama is a contemporary Hagi kiln preserving these techniques while adapting them to Western coffee and tea-cup forms. Their Himetsuchi 姫土 clay is the kiln's signature — the warm pink color cannot be replicated by other Hagi makers using standard cream clay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to use\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs an everyday coffee or tea cup pair — 180 ml capacity suits a single coffee, espresso macchiato, or short tea\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs a gift cup-and-saucer pair for a couple — the 珈琲ペア format is traditional for engagement, wedding, anniversary gifts in Japan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDisplay unused on a sideboard — the pink-cream gradient is its own visual composition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat is Himetsuchi 姫土?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHimetsuchi (\"Princess Clay\") is Tsubakihidegama's signature pink-cream Hagi clay variety. The pink hue comes from the clay itself, not from a colored glaze — the translucent glaze simply lets the clay color show through. Other Hagi kilns use standard cream-white clay; Himetsuchi is a Tsubakihidegama specialty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat is \"Hagi no Nanabake\"?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Hagi no nanabake\" 萩の七化け = \"the seven changes of Hagi\". Hagi-yaki has fine crackle (kanyū) glaze and a porous body; over time, tea or coffee seeps into the crackle and the surface deepens in color. The cup you receive will look slightly different in five years than today — this is considered the highest beauty in Japanese tea ceremony tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIs the crackle damage?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo — the kanyū 貫入 crackle network is the designed feature, not damage. The cup is fully structurally intact. The crackle is in-glaze (not in-body) and is what enables the nanabake patina to develop with use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eCan I use it for hot coffee?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. The cup is glazed inside and watertight. Hagi-yaki is traditional for tea ceremony precisely because it holds hot liquid well. Just hand-wash and dry afterwards (avoid dishwasher).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eIs the gift box included?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — every set arrives in its original 化粧箱 (decorative gift box).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ZenKiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487591284966,"sku":"L28-TSUBAKIHIDE-HIMETSUCHI-COFFEE-PAIR","price":51.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/5392\/5350\/files\/il_fullxfull.7480117266_6o70.jpg?v=1774882490","url":"https:\/\/zen-kiln.com\/en-gb\/products\/hagi-yaki-coffee-cup-saucer-set","provider":"ZenKiln","version":"1.0","type":"link"}