Medaka Rice Fish Maple Leaf Sauce Plate

Enjoy the elegant design of a Japanese maple leaf adorned with the refined beauty of natural blue-green lustered celadon in this stylish sauce plate from Kosen Kiln. 

With its translucent glaze on the blue-jade hue of celadon, a tranquil atmosphere emanates from its glossy exterior, like the calm surface of a glistening pond. Adorning the surface of the sauce plate are Medaka rice fishes which are depicted with such realism that they look as though they are actually suspended in water. Each fish is hand painted using brushes of differing thicknesses to draw detailed designs. Three small dots give movement to the fish and add a delicate touch to the design. One can almost feel the fish gracefully swimming in a pond with their slightly curved tails.

This sauce plate is the perfect size for plating various types of sauces and condiments. Serve small sweets alongside a cup of Japanese tea or hot coffee. Present small appetizers before a meal on this dainty plate. 

The Medaka Rice Fish series also includes plates and bowls that can be coordinated with this sauce plate to give your tabletop a unified theme. This sauce plate is packaged in a durable paper box labeled with the name of the kiln on Washi paper making it a perfect item as a gift. 

Nabeshima Kosen Kiln specializes in products that use three techniques that are characteristic of Nabeshima ware: Iro-Nabeshima, Sometsuke, and celadon. The company's founder, Tameo Kawasoe, has long studied celadon porcelain with a strong desire to make Nabeshima celadon ware available to as many people as possible.

The current third generation, Takahiko Kawasoe, has a vision of "establishing Nabeshima culture" and began research and development of celadon from a different perspective from that of his grandfather. The kiln is working daily with the hope that the future of Nabeshima ware will be enriched 100 years from now. 

Nabeshima Kosen Kiln

The Kawasoe family were craftsmen specializing in figurines and glaze research, passing down their skills for generations. In 1963, Tameo, grandfather of the current owner, founded Kosen Kiln and spent over a decade perfecting Nabeshima celadon glazes, despite the risk of financial ruin. Today, third-generation owner Takahiko Kawasoe preserves this tradition in Okawachiyama, the “hidden kiln village.” After 56 years, he has resumed celadon R&D, blending classic techniques with a fresh perspective.

Nabeshima ware is a type of porcelain ware produced by the Nabeshima domain kiln, which was established in 1628 by 31 selected potters in the Arita and Imari areas, Saga Prefecture. This project was directly managed by the Saga Nabeshima domain in the early Edo period (1603 CE–1867 CE).

For about 250 years until the abolition of the domain in 1871, Nabeshima ware could only be used by shoguns and feudal lords. That time saw continuous production of porcelain Nabeshima ware masterpieces. These included iro-Nabeshima, or "colored Nabeshima ware," sometsuke, and celadon. Later the feudal kilns became private kilns, and new potters joined to create what we know today as Imari Nabeshima ware.