{"product_id":"kutani-cat-mug-230ml","title":"Kutani Cat Mug 230ml | Iroe Yu Hidamari Cuddling Cats","description":"\u003cp\u003eA quiet, slow-morning mug. Two cats — one white silhouette, one dark sienna — sit back-to-back in a sunlit patch of garden, surrounded by hand-painted forget-me-nots, wildflowers, and tiny fluttering butterflies. Made in Ishikawa Prefecture by the Kutani-ware workshop Iroe Yu (色絵 遊), from their beloved 陽だまり (\"Hidamari\" — Sunny Spot) series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eQuick facts\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMaker\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIroe Yu (色絵 遊) — contemporary Kutani-ware workshop, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eSeries\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHidamari (陽だまり — \"Sunny Spot\")\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eMaterial\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eStoneware with kohiki-style (粉引) speckled white glaze; granular grey-brown lower portion + handle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCapacity\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~230 mL (~7.8 fl oz)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eDimensions\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~8 cm diameter × ~8 cm height (3.1\" × 3.1\")\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWeight\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e~450 g (~1.0 lb)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eOrigin\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMade in Japan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat \"Hidamari\" means\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e陽だまり \/ Hidamari translates as \"sunny spot\" — the warm patch of afternoon sunlight where a cat will curl up and nap. Iroe Yu's Hidamari series renders that scene without features on the cats — pure silhouette — so the viewer can project their own pets onto the mug. The two cats here are sitting back-to-back, each one a different color, sharing the same sunbeam.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's hand-painted on this mug\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTwo cuddling cats sitting back-to-back: one white silhouette + one dark sienna silhouette\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eForget-me-not cluster (blue 5-petal flowers with yellow centers) on a branching stem above the cats\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eWildflower stems with pink, magenta, yellow, and blue dot-flowers along the left side\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGreen leaves on each wildflower stem\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eTwo small butterflies — one yellow, one white-and-yellow\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eHand-drawn whiskers and tails on each cat\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSpeckled white kohiki (粉引) glaze upper field — the iron freckles read as garden ground texture\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGranular grey-brown stoneware lower field — reads as a hill silhouette\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eBrown speckled handle\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSpeckled dark grey interior (contrast to white outside)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eUnglazed exposed clay foot ring\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eRed square workshop stamp on the foot — the Iroe Yu signature\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout Kutani ware\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKutani ware (九谷焼) is one of Japan's most decorated porcelain traditions, originating in Ishikawa Prefecture. Classic Kutani is known for bright overglaze enamels (the \"Kutani Five Colors\"). Iroe Yu (色絵 遊 — literally \"color-painting Yu\") is a contemporary Kutani workshop that reinterprets the tradition in a quieter, more domestic register: stoneware-textured bodies, kohiki-speckle glazes, and hand-painted scenes that feel like illustrations from a children's book rather than formal banquet ware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eUse cases\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSingle-cup coffee, latte, tea, or matcha — 230 mL is a comfortable daily portion\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eHand-friendly loop handle, balanced weight\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDaily use, not a display-only piece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFAQ\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this microwave \/ dishwasher safe?\u003c\/strong\u003e The maker does not state this. Treat as hand-wash hand-painted ware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat does Hidamari mean?\u003c\/strong\u003e 陽だまり — the warm patch of afternoon sunlight where a cat will nap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy don't the cats have faces?\u003c\/strong\u003e Iroe Yu's deliberate compositional choice — the cats are pure silhouette so viewers can project their own pets onto the mug.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAre the two cats always white + sienna?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes — every mug in this SKU has the same color pairing. Slight brushwork variation between mugs is expected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout ZenKiln\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZenKiln is a Japan-based curator connecting international collectors with Japan's artisan ceramic tradition. We work closely with the kilns, workshops, and makers featured in our shop — each one disclosed in our About section — and hand-pack every piece in Japan for safe delivery worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ZenKiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487581356262,"sku":null,"price":34.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0779\/5392\/5350\/files\/il_fullxfull.7474020707_1y3e.jpg?v=1774622214","url":"https:\/\/zen-kiln.com\/en-gb\/products\/kutani-cat-mug-230ml","provider":"ZenKiln","version":"1.0","type":"link"}