Sake Cups (Kutani, Mino, Maki-e Urushi) - Showa Period (20th Century) - Japan - 20th century

This curated Japanese sake service consists of a matching pair of porcelain serving bottles and five unique, hand-crafted sake cups. Although the vessels display a rich variety of prestigious regional ceramic styles and traditional lacquering techniques, they are harmoniously bound by a single iconographic program centered on auspicious birds and traditional longevity motifs. Every piece incorporates the Japanese crane, an ancient symbol of fidelity and long life, beautifully accompanied by evergreen pine, the rising sun, or the mythical long-tailed turtle. This eclectic mix of shapes and textures perfectly embodies the refined Japanese tradition of offering guests a diverse choice of fine vessels to elevate the seasonal sake tasting experience.

1-2- The core of the set features a matching pair of porcelain sake bottles measuring 19 cm in height and 6 cm in diameter. They are finely hand-painted with cranes perched upon robust pine branches over a warm amber gradient background, completed by the underglaze cobalt blue workshop signature Fūroku on their bases.
3- The accompanying five cups showcase remarkable diversity. The largest porcelain cup, measuring 2.5 cm by 6 cm, is executed in deep green Kutani ware with a luxurious geometric gold border framing a central crane under a golden sun; this piece shows a visible chip on its upper rim.
4- A second porcelain cup, measuring 3 cm by 6 cm, presents a more minimalist aesthetic with an elegant crane in flight next to a vibrant red sun and bears an underglaze blue signature seal on the foot.
5- The third porcelain cup is a second Kutani ware piece measuring 2.5 cm by 5 cm, delicately painted with a miniature naturalistic landscape of three cranes near coastal pine vegetation, signed Kutani in underglaze blue, and also exhibits a notable chip on the upper rim.
6-7- The final two cups introduce rare materials and historic functions to the collection. The fourth item is a Mino ware travel cup measuring approximately 3.5 cm by 5.5 cm, signed Mino on the base. It features a built-in ceramic loop on the side historically used to attach the cup to a traveler's kimono belt for outdoor blossom viewing, and its interior is decorated with tactile, raised-enamel Moriage plum blossoms and a stylized green bird. The final piece is a high-stemmed cup measuring approximately 5 cm by 5.5 cm, crafted from lightweight turned wood coated in traditional multi-layered Urushi lacquer. The shimmering gold interior is executed in precious Maki-e technique using gold dust to depict a flying crane, a red sun, and the legendary long-tailed longevity turtle, while the black underside bears a hand-incised artisan signature in gold lacquer.

The lot is sold as a single collection of seven pieces. Please study the comprehensive photo gallery carefully to assess the precise aesthetic condition, markings, and the two mentioned rim chips on the Kutani items before bidding. The lot will be safely packed and shipped with registered tracking.