Autumn Collection
Autumn is the best time of the year to use Japanese tableware.
Dishes made using the bounty of autumn such as chestnuts, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, pumpkins and rice go well with the soft, warm colors and textures of Japanese tableware.
Prepare an autumn favorite, Japanese mixed rice in a clay pot and serve it at the table.
A soup bowl coated with soft and warm textured lacquer is also a perfect choice for an autumn tablescape. Serve a warm bowl of miso soup and other types of soups on a cool autumn evening.
Feel the warmth of clay with stoneware items.
Colors that remind us of fall are warm colors like red seen in fruit and foliage, brown, beige, yellow and orange. Colors symbolic of Halloween are orange, black and yellow.
The colors of the changing leaves are yellow, brown and a reddish-brown.
Mix these colors with rich textures felt in rustic stoneware and lush lacquerware. Add a touch of gold to give depth and an artistic feel.
To create an autumn themed table setting, use a tablecloth in calm fall colors. Use a cloth that has a fairly heavy texture like thick cotton.
Add tableware items in serene tones to change the feel of the table to match the cool season.
Using natural materials from outside like pinecones and acorns on the table is also a great idea for stylishly decorating the table for fall. For example, use pumpkins for fall decorating inside your home. Place small pumpkins on the table as a centerpiece or on a side table or shelf as a seasonal decor item.
Branches and flowers are also materials that help set the tone for fall. Use some of the following flowers and place them in your favorite vase or item that is good for displaying a floral decoration.
Autumn flowers in Japan
- Dahlias
- Cockscombs
- Clematises
- Cosmos
- Gentians
- Osmanthuses
For a stunning fall table, try using small accessories that bring out the rich and bountiful feel of the season.
Bizen Ware
Bizen Ware is a traditional stoneware produced in the Ibe area of Okayama Prefecture. It is one of the oldest ceramics in Japan, and is made using the “Yakishime" technique, in which pieces are fired at high temperatures without glaze to make them durable and water-resistant.
Bizen Ware is called "the art of clay and fire" for the exquisite colors and patterns produced by the kiln's flames, and is characterized by its minimalist, "wabi-sabi" design.
Seigado Tsuiki Metalcraft
Seigado has a workshop at the foot of Mt. Yahiko in Niigata Prefecture, where high quality copper was discovered about 300 years ago and "Tsuiki'', the technique of hammering copperware has developed since then.
"Tsuiki'' is a metalworking technique that is derived from the words 'hammer' and 'raise', so this process literally means hammering and embossing copperware products. The traces of the hammering, the process of making are left as beautiful patterns on the products.
