A set of 5 fine-porcelain yunomi (Japanese tea cups) by Kōransha (香蘭社) — Japan's first joint-stock porcelain company, founded 1875 in Arita, Saga Prefecture. Made in 昭和2年 / Showa 2 / 1927 (user-confirmed). Each cup carries a hand-painted overglaze decoration of an orchid (the brand's own emblem) in red-orange iron-oxide enamel and gold leaf, set against fine white porcelain ground with gilt rim and twin coral-red banding. The set survives in mint, untouched condition — five cups arranged in the original Kōransha vertical-stacking tomobako, with the maker's sumi-ink calligraphy and official red seal on the outer face.
At 99 years old, this set sits at the threshold of "Antique" status (Etsy's 100-year cutoff), produced at the very start of the Showa era by a porcelain house founded in 1875.
Specifications
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Set composition: 5 yunomi + original Kōransha wooden tomobako (vertical stacking format)
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Cup dimensions (each): ∼Ø9.0 × 5.5 cm H (≈3.5″ × 2.2″), foot ∼Ø4.0 cm (≈1.6″), ∼71 g (≈2.5 oz)
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Set weight (5 cups, sans box): ∼355 g (≈12.5 oz)
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Tomobako: ∼10.5 × 10 × 34 cm (≈4.1″ × 3.9″ × 13.4″) — tall vertical box, kiri-style soft wood
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Material: Fine white porcelain (磁器 / Jiki) — Arita body
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Decoration: Overglaze red enamel (赤絵 / Aka-e), gilding (金彩 / Kinsai), coral-red banding, gold rim and foot ring
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Production year: 昭和2年 / Showa 2 / 1927 (user-confirmed)
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Maker founded: 明治8年 / Meiji 8 / 1875 (Kōransha brand history — context only, not this piece's production year)
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Made by Kōransha / Arita Ware in Saga Prefecture, Japan, curated by ZenKiln
Provenance & Attribution (Tier B)
This set carries strong primary evidence of Kōransha production:
- Original Kōransha wooden tomobako with sumi-ink calligraphy reading 「御湯呑 五客」 (Goyunomi Gokyaku — "Honorable Tea Cups, Set of Five") on the right column and 「香蘭社」 (Kōransha) on the left column
- Red square official Kōransha maker's seal stamped on the tomobako next to the brand calligraphy
- Gold-painted Kōransha foot mark on each cup — stylized orchid sprig emblem above the kanji wordmark 「香蘭社」
- Iconographic self-reference: the orchid (蘭 / Ran) on the decoration is the maker's own emblem; the brand-name kanji 香蘭 literally means "Fragrant Orchid"
Curator's note on attribution: ZenKiln assigns this set Tier B attribution per our antique-line claim-safety system. We can confirm with high confidence that this IS a Kōransha-produced yunomi set as marked. The production year 昭和2年 (Showa 2 / 1927) is the seller's attribution; independent dating-to-year would require expert reference against Kōransha's published mark-style catalog. We hold to Tier B until that cross-reference is in place. This piece was acquired by ZenKiln through the Japanese antique market.
Kōransha: A Short Historical Note
Kōransha (香蘭社) was founded in 1875 (Meiji 8) in Arita, Saga Prefecture, by Fukagawa Eizaemon VIII (深川栄左衛門八代) as Japan's first joint-stock porcelain company. It was created as a deliberate modernization of the centuries-old Hizen Arita porcelain industry to bring Arita work onto the international stage of the Meiji era. Kōransha exhibited at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition and the 1878 Paris Universal Exposition and is historically associated with Imperial Household Agency procurement. The brand is still active today.
The brand-name kanji 香蘭 means "Fragrant Orchid"; orchid is the company's emblem, and you see it here on both the cup decoration AND the foot mark.
Motif: Orchid (蘭 / Ran)
The decorative flower on these cups is orchid (蘭 / Ran), the Kōransha company emblem — not sazanka, plum, or cherry. The radiating four-petal bloom with arching gilt leaf-blade strokes is Kōransha's standard interpretation of the orchid form.
Condition Disclosure (Full)
Condition grade: Mint — presented as-new in original packaging.
- All 5 cups: no chips, no cracks, no crazing visible, no rim flea-bites; gold rim trim intact and unworn; foot mark gold crisp
- Tomobako: outer kiri-style wood shows age-consistent surface mellowing typical of pre-war / early-Showa Japanese soft wood; no warping, no separation of dividers; sumi-ink calligraphy crisp; red Kōransha seal unfaded
- No paper hakogaki, no brand pamphlet, no silk wrap — the tomobako is the complete original packaging for this set
Uses & Display
Traditional:
- Yunomi for everyday green tea (sencha, hojicha, genmaicha)
- A coordinated 5-piece guest-tea setting (a traditional Japanese household keeps a 5-cup set for tea-service for guests)
Modern crossover:
- Espresso / cortado cups (gold rim + porcelain = excellent for high-contrast small-format drinks)
- Sake o-choko style serving for chilled sake (single-portion)
- Small dessert cups for chawanmushi-style steamed savories or matcha-paired wagashi
- Display: an unusual vertical-stacking tomobako makes this set display-attractive even when stored
Care for Vintage Gold-Rim Porcelain
This is 99-year-old gold-rim Japanese porcelain. Treat accordingly:
- Hand-wash only with lukewarm water and mild neutral soap; dry with a soft cloth
- Do NOT use a dishwasher — high heat and detergent will damage the gold rim and gilt decoration
- Do NOT use a microwave — gold and metal-pigment decoration is not microwave-safe at any era
- Do NOT subject to thermal shock (no boiling water directly into a cold cup; warm the cup first with a tepid rinse)
- Store the cups inside the original tomobako between uses to preserve the box's significance and protect the cups
Reference Notes
- 明治8年 (Meiji 8) = 1875; 昭和2年 (Shōwa 2) = 1927
- 御湯呑 五客 (Goyunomi Gokyaku) = "Honorable Tea Cups, Set of 5"
- 香蘭社 (Kōransha) = "Fragrant Orchid Company"
- 蘭 (Ran) = orchid (the Kōransha emblem)
- 赤絵 (Aka-e) = overglaze red enamel (iron oxide)
- 金彩 (Kinsai) = gilding / gold-leaf decoration
About ZenKiln
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.
📦 Ships from Japan, hand-packed for safe delivery.
Shipping & Returns Note (Vintage / Antique-Line)
This is a one-of-one vintage set; we keep only this single set in inventory and cannot reorder. As a disclosed-condition vintage piece, returns are not offered except in the case of transit damage (please send photos within 7 days of delivery). For international orders we recommend adding insured shipping (the gold-rim porcelain is fragile in transit).
