Showa Japanese Tea Cup Restored with Traditional Kintsugi (urushi, genuine gold) | Straight from Japan,　Food safe

This broken tea cup was repaired using traditional kintsugi techniques. All the ingredients used for the repair process are natural and food safe.

The repair of this cup was completed by our kintsugi artist in Aug. 2021 at Traditional Kintsugi Shop TSUGU TSUGU, Tokyo, Japan.

Features: White tea cup decorated in blue with a scene featuring women in kimono in front of a Japanese landscape (tea house, pine trees…). When the cup arrived at our studio, the handle was broken into 3 pieces and the lim had a crack. Our kintsugi artist used a natural Japanese lacquer called "Urushi"to put the broken pieces back together and fill the cracks. The repaired cracks were then dusted with genuine gold powder (23 kt).

■ Product Details :

- Product code : #025

- Size: Diameter 8.4 cm, Height 6.5 cm
- Era: Showa period before World War II (Early 20th century)
- Types of Pottery (Area of Production): Seto ware (瀬戸焼)
Seto ware, or “Setomono” in Japanese, is a type of Japanese pottery, stoneware, and ceramics produced in the region of Seto in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Seto is historically known for being the home of one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan. The Japanese term “Setomono” is also used as a generic term for ceramics.
- Types of Pottery (Intention to Use): Tea Cup
This cup was meant to be sold overseas. The Japanese landscape featured on the cup was specifically created to please foreign clients, hence the abundance of well-known Japanese symbols on the cup, such as a tea house and women wearing kimono.
- Painting technique used: Inban
“Inban” is a painting technique for ceramics. The chosen design is painted on a transfer sheet that is pressed onto the ceramics before baking. This painting method started being used during the Meiji era (early 20th century). Before this technique was invented, pottery items were mainly painted by hand (Sometsuke) and they were so expensive that very few people could afford them. The Inban technique made decorated pottery more affordable.

■ How to care for an item repaired with kintsugi:

Items repaired using traditional kintsugi techniques should be treated with the same care as traditional lacquerware.
Please note the following:
1. Fractured points repaired with urushi lacquer become stronger as time passes. It is recommended that you start using the item several months after this item was repaired.
2. Do not place an item repaired with kintsugi in a microwave, a dishwasher, an oven or an open fire.
3. Hand-washing is advised. Make sure to wash your repaired item gently and avoid scrubbing around the repaired cracks.
4. Be careful not to scratch the repaired parts when using sharp cutlery such as forks and knives.
5. Please make sure that the parts repaired with urushi lacquer are not damaged by other plates and cups when storing your tableware on your cupboard shelves.
6. Do not place the repaired item in a fridge for too long.
7. Do not soak the repaired item in water for too long.
8. Store the item in a place where it is not directly exposed to sunlight.

The restoration of this item took several months and we poured all our heart into it. We hope that this little kintsugi piece of art repaired by our hands will bring you joy in your daily life.

Important:
The repaired handle remains fragile even after being repaired by Kintsugi. Please avoid holding this cup by the handle only. Always hold/support the body of the cup when you use it.
Please note that you can use this cup for drinking hot drinks such as tea or coffee.

■ Shipping worldwide :
It takes about 6-10 days on average. There may be shipping restrictions and delays due to sudden changes in legislation and COVID-19. Please contact us to check if we can ship our products to your country.
 
Notes: We cannot ship to P.O. boxes.
 
For the customers residing within the EU: Following the recent rule change regarding custom clearance and VAT payment for products bought online, we have put in place a smooth export system for orders under 150 euro (excl. shipping fee). There is no change for orders above 150 euros:  we can ship you our kits but you will most likely have to go to your local custom office to pay applicable taxes and duty.