Kutani Sake Set 3pc — Eizan Kiln Peacock Peony Gold Tokkuri & Sakazuki

Kutani "Iroe Botan Kujaku" Peacock & Peony Kinrande Sake Set — Eizan Kiln, Tokkuri 260 cc + 2 Sakazuki (Ø 5.5 × H 3.9 cm)

A three-piece Kutani sake set from 九谷 栄山 (Eizan-gama / Eizan Kiln), Ishikawa Prefecture, distributed by 九谷焼の陶寿堂 (Tōjudō). The supplier's name for the decoration is 色絵牡丹孔雀 (iroe botan kujaku / "polychrome peony and peacock") — and the kiln has executed it in the kinrande (金襴手 / "gold brocade") idiom that Kutani is most known for: heavy gold ground, multi-band gilded collar at the neck, and the full gosai polychrome palette over it.

The motif

The tokkuri carries the full scene wrap-around: a blue peacock with a scaled cobalt body, mounting a fan of pink and purple tail feathers with green eye-spots and gilded shafts, standing among red and pink peonies (botan / 牡丹) on dark rocks. Around the neck runs a red-and-gold collar layered with the sayagata key-fret pattern and the sippō (seven-treasures) wave-pattern band — formal court-style ornament that frames the painting like a brocade hem. Each sakazuki carries an abbreviated version of the same peacock-and-peony scene, so the three pieces read as a matched set rather than two cups + one decanter. All three carry the same red square 九谷 栄山 (Kutani Eizan) seal on the foot.

About the pairing

The peacock-and-peony pairing is one of Kutani's most auspicious motifs. The peacock (kujaku) brings beauty, nobility, and watchful protection; the peony (botan) — the "king of flowers" — brings prosperity, honour, and wealth. The pairing is a traditional gift at engagements, weddings, anniversaries, retirements, and house-warmings, with the implicit wish for a flourishing household.

Form & use

• Tokkuri (徳利 / sake decanter) — bottle-shouldered form with a small flared rim; supplier-stated capacity 260 cc, comfortably serves three to four sakazuki pours and is sized for a single person's evening or a two-person sake course.
• Two sakazuki (盃 / flat sake cups) — wide shallow form on a tall footed pedestal; Ø 5.5 × H 3.9 cm (≈ 2.17 × 1.54 in). Sized for warm or chilled sake / nihonshu — the wide rim opens the aroma; the small volume keeps each pour ceremonial.

Care

The supplier does not specify microwave or dishwasher use, and the heavy gold ground makes this set incompatible with microwave — gold will arc and scorch. We recommend hand-wash only: warm water, mild soap, soft cloth; rinse and towel-dry promptly. Because each piece is decorated by hand, slight differences in gilding density, peacock-tail line work, and peony flower placement are part of how kinrande is made.

• Made by Eizan Kiln / Kutani-yaki in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln. Distributed via 九谷焼の陶寿堂 (Tōjudō).