Tea service (6) - Terracotta

A four-cup Japanese tea set, with a sugar bowl and a creamer, in Bizen or Tokoname clay commonly used in the mid-twentieth century, and enriched inside with a vivid glossy blue reactive glaze in contrast. The circular inscription "HANDPAINTED JAPAN" associated with the central stamp (often a kanji or the producer's stylized logo) was the legally mandatory standard used to identify goods produced in Japan for Western markets, particularly the American market, starting from 1921. Style and Technique: This matte brick-red or terracotta finish (called in English Japan Red Ware)—the famous Kutani porcelain (in the Akae red enamel style) or Tokoname's decorative red clays. It was finished on the outside with a red satin lacquer enriched with hand-engraved or dark and gold brushstrokes, while the interior was glazed with contrasting tones to render it waterproof.