KurashiBirds in Japanese crafts: ceramics and lacquerware
Small birds, cranes, a nightingale on a plum branch. Birds show up a lot in Japanese crafts, and the shop describes some of them as lucky signs.
Here are five pieces with birds. Four are Kutani ware, which is porcelain. One is Aizu lacquerware, which is not ceramic at all. First, the bowl I actually use.
Quick picks
The bowl I use
I use this · Kutani ware, Seikou Kiln, 5.5-sun bowl with mejiro birds (SK-185)
This is the one bird piece I actually have at home. It is 16.5 cm across and 5.6 cm tall, which is just the right size for a Japanese donburi, a bowl of rice with toppings on it.
It comes from the mejiro series by Seikou Kiln, a well-known Kutani kiln. Shops in Japan describe it as a popular series. The white porcelain has fine comb lines (kushime) carved into the surface, and the birds are painted with the delicate brushwork and bright colors that Kutani ware is known for.
The rim is thin, not thick. So the bowl feels light in my hand, and it is nice on the lips when I eat. The little mejiro birds (Japanese white-eyes) are so cute that they make me relax a bit every time I use it.
The rim is also not perfectly even. It curves a little differently in each place. I like that. It makes the bowl feel warm and relaxed, not stiff.
It is a bowl for every day, not only for special meals.
Kutani ware with birds
Red Flowers and Bird Sauce Plate
Picked for a small first piece
A small sauce plate by Seikou Kiln, the same kiln as my bowl, in the Ko-Kutani style. The shop suggests it for soy sauce, nuts, cheese, or a bento.
- Size: 10.5 cm across, 2 cm tall
- Dishwasher: yes / Microwave: yes
- I haven't tried this one.
Small Birds Ochoko Sake Cup
Picked for a small sake cup with small birds
A sake cup by Seikou Kiln. The shop describes the birds as auspicious birds.
- Size: 5.5 cm across, 5.3 cm tall, 45 ml
- Dishwasher: yes / Microwave: yes
- I haven't tried this one.
Dancing Cranes Side Plate
Picked for gifts
A round side plate by Seikou Kiln. According to the shop, the crane is a symbol of long life and prosperity, so it fits a gift.
- Size: 15 cm across, 2 cm tall
- Dishwasher: yes / Microwave: yes
- I haven't tried this one.
Yoshidaya Sakura and Bird Sake Set
Picked for a set to share
A sake bottle and two cups by Bizan Kiln. It uses Yoshidaya colors: yellow, green, navy, and purple, without red.
- Bottle: 9.5 cm across, 10 cm tall, 300 ml
- Cups (x2): 5.5 cm across, 4 cm tall, 40 ml each
- Dishwasher: yes / Microwave: yes
- I haven't tried this one.
Aizu lacquerware: a screen to display
Plum and Nightingale Folding Screen
Picked for display
This one is not ceramic. It is Aizu lacquerware by Fukunishi Sobe Shoten: red plum flowers and a green nightingale on black lacquer. It is not for food. You stand it on a shelf or by the entrance.
- Size (open): 30 × 50.3 cm, 0.9 cm thick
- Dishwasher: no
- I haven't tried this one.
How I choose
Size. Check the numbers, not only the photo. The 10.5 cm plate is for sauce or a few nuts. The 15 cm plate is a side plate. My 16.5 cm bowl is enough for a full rice bowl meal.
Weight. A thin rim makes a big difference. A bowl you pick up every day should feel light.
Pattern. Look at how much of the surface the bird takes. A small bird leaves room for the food.
Care. All four Kutani pieces here are listed as dishwasher and microwave safe. The lacquer screen is not dishwasher safe, and it is for display anyway. Please check the product page before buying.
Everything above ships from Japan. Shipping details can change, so check the shop page for the latest.