Kutani Yoshidaya Yunomi — Hand-Painted Mountain Sakura & Bird (Tōjudō, Ishikawa, ~220 ml)

🌸 Kutani Yoshidaya Yunomi — Hand-Painted Mountain Sakura & Bird on Stoneware

A hand-painted 九谷焼 (Kutani-yaki) large yunomi — the traditional Japanese handle-less tea cup, made in the 吉田屋 (Yoshidaya) revival palette: a saturated yellow overglaze ground frames a painted reserve of mountain cherry blossoms (山桜 yama-zakura) with a perched small bird in blue and pink. The reserve panel is set against a calm gray-speckled stoneware body, drawing the eye to the painted scene. The foot carries a red painter/workshop seal in cursive script.

Made by Tōjudō / Kutani-yaki in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln

🌼 The motif — Yama-zakura ni Tori (山桜に鳥 / Mountain Cherry & Bird)

“Yama-zakura” is the wild mountain cherry that grew in Japanese hills before Edo-period cultivation made the 染井吉野 (Somei-Yoshino) cherry dominant. Unlike its cultivated cousin, the mountain cherry blooms together with new spring leaves — which is why this painted reserve shows orange-pink new growth alongside the white blossoms (a small but specific botanical accuracy). The perched small bird joins the scene as a “kachō-e” (花鳥絵 — flower-and-bird) composition, one of the oldest decorative traditions in East Asian decorative arts. Each detail is hand-painted in the Yoshidaya tradition; small variations in brushwork and palette are part of the artisan signature.

🎨 Why this is Yoshidaya (吉田屋) Kutani

吉田屋 was an early-19th-century Kutani revival kiln (1824–1831) founded by Yoshidaya Den'emon in Yamashiro hot-spring town, Ishikawa. Its short seven-year life produced some of the most recognisable Kutani decoration in the 古九谷 (ko-kutani / “Old Kutani”) tradition — saturated overglaze enamels on earthenware/stoneware bodies, with the signature yellow ground (黄釉 ki-yū) as the palette identifier. Today the “Yoshidaya-style” continues as a living school in Kutani-yaki, and this yunomi is painted in that lineage.

🍵 How to use a yunomi

The yunomi is the traditional Japanese tea cup — handle-less, sized to be held in both hands or cradled in one. Use it for:

• Green tea (sencha, hōjicha, gyokuro, kukicha) — the classical pairing
• Genmai-cha (brown rice tea)
• Warm water or barley tea (mugi-cha) in summer
• A small matcha-style break (no whisking — just hot water + powdered tea)
• Pairs with a small wagashi or seasonal sweet

🎁 Gift-ready

Arrives in a protective paper box (紙箱) — message at checkout if you would like extra gift-wrapping. A thoughtful gift for:

• Tea ritualists (sencha, hōjicha, matcha lovers)
• Japanese pottery and Kutani-ware collectors
• Bird-watchers and nature lovers (the painted bird makes this a niche-perfect “bird-lover” gift)
• Cherry-blossom enthusiasts and seasonal-decor curators
• Hostess, housewarming, wedding, anniversary, Father’s Day occasions

🔗 Same painter’s series

The same painter’s “山桜に鳥” motif is also produced as a handled mug — pair the yunomi (handle-less, traditional) with the mug (handled, daily) for a complete table setting, or gift as a sister-pair.