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Japanese yunomi style tea cup of Arita (Imari)-yaki ceramic on Amazon

Imari-yaki and Arita-yaki are the traditional porcelain made in Arita region, Saga Prefecture. When you drink Japanese green tea with a tea cup of Imari, your hands would feel the proper warmth of the hot water.

And the smooth touch of the surface makes you want to hold it for all time.

If tea cups get cracked…

Traditional reparing for pottery with gold, “Kintsugi”

Imari or Arita?

Imari-yaki and Arita-yaki belong to the Japanese porcelain. The people overseas would know the name of “Imari” rather than “Arita”, but actually, we couldn’t find any difference in the features between Imari-yaki and Arita-yaki.

The history of the Arita-yaki started by the Korean potter Yi Sam-pyeong in the early 17th century. It is also the first production of the porcelain in Japan. Yi Sam-pyeong made the ascending kiln in Arita area, Saga Prefecture. So, they call the porcelain Arita-yaki (Arita ware).

However, by beginning the shipping to the other region in the country or abroad, they carried the Arita-yaki products from the Imari Port. The products were Imari-yaki for the people in other countries.

At any rate, we distinguish between Imari-yaki and Arita-yaki according to each producing district.

The high-quality soil of the districts and 1300 ℃ baking make the porcelains hard. Though the products seem fragile, it has an excellent strength of the material. Furthermore, the Potters stone contained much feldspar produces a fine-grained surface.

Imari roughly consisted of three types, Koimari (Kinrande), Kakiemon, and Nabeshima. I”ll show you the Japanese tea cups of Koimari, Nabeshima, and today’s casual tyepe at Amazon.

Check the works of the today’s master craftsman Fujii Kinsai.

Outstanding Japanese tea cups by Fuji Kinsai

Koimari (Old-Imari, Kinrande) style

Set of 5 cups

Sansui (landscape)

Iwa Botan (Rock and Peony)

Shochikubai (Pine, Bamboo, and Plum)

Single

Aya Kon (Brilliant navy blue) pumpkin

If you look for a colorful Japanese tea cup, why don’t you see also Kutani ware?

Traditional Japanese tea cups of Kutani pottery and porcelain

Nabeshima style

The daimyo of Nabeshima domain (today’s Saga Prefecture) used the type of Arita ware. The style has three kindes. First, Ironabeshima which only has three colors, red, yellow, and green. Next, Sometsuke is just used indigo (gosu). And finaly, Seiji has a pale green surface. It is a simple and refined Imari.

Set of 5 cups