Kousai Kiln Playful Cat Hasami Plate

Enjoy meal time with this unique plate from Kousai Kiln.

This charmingly designed plate is handmade combining the Shigaraki style "Yakishime(high-fired unglazed ceramics)" and traditional "Some-nishiki," a technique where a product is first glazed with white and blue patterns and then is further decorated with detailed hand-painted drawings. Stoneware items are rarely seen in Hasami Ware. Items from Kousai Kiln are popular for their unique style and designs on the rustic texture of stoneware.

This plate is made using a technique called "Tatara-zukuri" which is the Japanese name meaning "slab-built." A thin plate of clay called "tatara" is made using a long, thin board called a tatara board. This method can be used to make simple flat plates, and plates and other items with unique shapes such as this plate with the slight curve and cat ears. 

The face of the cat and the traditional Japanese patterns are coated with a smooth glaze and the remaining surface retains its coarse and rustic stoneware texture. The cat's ears and feet add accent to the plate's shape giving it a cat-like design and its tail is neatly painted on the right bottom corner. 

Enjoy the different traditional Japanese patterns painted on the plate; the hemp leaf pattern in red, the Seigaiha ocean wave pattern in Indigo blue, the Shippou interlocking circular patterns in green and the Jimon(a design used for kimono fabric) pattern in blue. The plate has a warm and nostalgic feel.

Use this plate to serve small portions of a main dish like fried chicken or grilled fish. The cute design makes this plate a great item to use for tea time or snacks for children. There are matching cups and rice bowls to make a full set with the "Playful Cat" motif. 

Kosai Kiln is owned by Hirohiko Umeno, a potter engaged in pottery making in Hasami-cho, Nagasaki Prefecture. He trained at a Kiyomizu ware kiln in Kyoto City and opened his own kiln in Mt. Nakao in 1991. He produces unique pottery based on handmade and hand-painted techniques.

PRODUCT DETAIL

• Dimension: 16.5cm(6.5in) x 12cm(4.7in) x H3cm(1.2in)
• Material: Stoneware 
• Origin: Made in Japan - Hasami Ware
• Brand: Kousai Kiln