Traditional Kintsugi Shop TSUGU TSUGU
Yobitsugi Cup - Red Lacquered Cup Handcrafted in Japan
Yobitsugi Cup - Red Lacquered Cup Handcrafted in Japan
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The Yobitsugi Cup is a lacquered cup handcrafted in Aizuwakamatsu, Japan.
With its sleek curves and its refined lacquer work, the Yobitsugi Cup combines a modern and elegant design with the best of Japanese traditional craft. Each material used, from the wood to each layer of lacquer applied, was carefully selected to create a stylish cup that will make your tea time extra special.
Special Features of the Yobitsugi Cup:
- Designed to last, the cup has been lacquered with multiple layers of urushi lacquer. Urushi lacquer is a very durable and high-quality material that is resistant to water, alkali, alcohol, acids and heat. It can also prevent decay and is known for having antibacterial properties.
- A beautiful matte finish: We have gone for a matte finish, which beautifully highlights the maki-e work. Very smooth, the surface of the cup is very comfortable to the touch. In order to get this neat result, no less than 8 layers of traditional urushi were necessary, which represents about 3 months of work alone.
- The Yobitsugi Cup is decorated with a gold maki-e of the Japanese pattern ”seigaiha.” This pattern depicts an infinity of waves, interlocked into one another. In Japan, it is known as an auspicious pattern that represents the blessings of the sea and the peaceful relations. It is also often associated with resilience.
- Since wood has a very low heat conductivity, you can drink hot beverages in your Yobitsugi Cup without fearing to burn yourself while holding it. Your hot beverages will stay warmer much longer, which will allow you to enjoy your drink at your own pace.
The Story Behind This Cup:
At Tsugu Tsugu, we are passionate about traditional Japanese craft and we are deeply committed to its preservation and its transmission to newer generations. In our studios in Tokyo, we teach the art of kintsugi, a restoration technique for ceramics that is based on the use of urushi lacquer and gold. Kintsugi originally stems from the art of lacquerware. Kintsugi has been booming over the last few years, but the lacquer industry overall has known a sharp decline and it may completely disappear if nothing is done.
We decided to act and started the Yobitsugi Cup Project, a cup that is designed to bring together people, modern design and traditional craft ! To bring this project to life, we have worked with Japanese artisans based in the small town of Aizuwakamatsu, which is well-known in Japan for its lacquerware.
With this unique cup, we wish to share with the world the beauty of Japanese lacquerware and support the lacquerware industry.
Product details:
Size: diameter of 8 cm at the top, 7.5 cm high (diameter of 3.15 in at the top, 2.95 in high). It can hold up to 160 ml (5.41 oz.)
Weight: Cup 70 g, with Box 150-190 g (Each cup is unique and weight can slightly vary).
Color: Bengal Red
Materials: Lacquer (urushi), horse chestnut wood, genuine gold powder.
Maki-e: Maki-e is a technique in lacquerware that consists in dusting metallic powders over fresh urushi lacquer in order to decorate objects. It is a technique that requires skilled hands and a lot of experience to obtain a good result. For the Yobitsugi Cup, we created a maki-e design that evokes a piece of yobitsugi. All the maki-e work has been performed using genuine gold powder.
Origin: Aizuwakamatsu, Japan.
Shipping Policy
Please refer to our shipping policy.
What is Kintsugi?
Kintsugi is a traditional Japanese art form that originated in the 15th century, and it's been around for over 500 years. When a cherished piece of pottery or porcelain breaks, Kintsugi specialists repair it using natural materials such as genuine lacquer and then decorate the repair marks with gold or silver to make them stand out instead of trying to hide them. Rather, we should allow cracks and blemishes in our belongings to shine and tell a story of their own. The result is an object that's more beautiful than before it was broken, and uniquely valuable because of its history. This is the kintsugi philosophy.
We Are Kintsugi Specialists
Tsugu Tsugu is proud to be part of this ancient tradition—we use only natural materials for our kintsugi repairs. We know where beginners tend to get stuck in the process because we receive so many repairs every day and have taught kintsugi classes for years. That's why our products are filled with educational information and easy-to-understand instructions, along with YouTube videos on the proper way to perform authentic kintsugi. Our goal is to help people around the world successfully perform authentic kintsugi and enjoy a long and prosperous life with their beautiful and favorite pottery.
About Tsugu Tsugu
At Tsugu Tsugu, we are proud to offer kintsugi classes almost every day so that you can share in the fascination of restoring broken pottery.
We believe that there's something special about a piece of broken pottery—it's not just an object that needs to be thrown away, but rather it becomes a treasure once repaired with gold or silver lacquer and put back together. We want to make sure that as many people as possible get to experience this ancient Japanese technique and feel the same joy we do when we see our customers' faces light up with excitement.