Straw ash glaze snow, moon and flowers cup by Kosai Miyagawa

Height: 4.0cm Width: 5.5cm

As its name suggests, the "Wara Ash Glazed Snow, Moon, and Flowers Sake Cup by Miyagawa Kosai" is a work that captures poetic beauty in ceramics. The moon is boldly painted in silver on this sake cup, drawing the eye with its beautiful design. Furthermore, the gold coloring, which symbolizes snow, and the red coloring, which represents flowers, are effectively used, making this a work that truly captures the beauty of nature in a poetic way. In particular, the color arrangement based on the theme of "snow, moon, and flowers," creates a rich emotional impact throughout the sake cup.

Setsugekka - Symbols of Beauty Rooted in Japanese Culture

The phrase "Snow, Moon, and Flowers" originates from a line in the poem "The Link Between Yin and Flowers" by Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang dynasty in China, entitled "When Snow, Moon, and Flowers Bloom, I Remember You Most." This poem, depicting the moment when a person most strongly thinks of a loved one in front of a beautiful natural landscape, has also been widely accepted in Japan. As a phrase symbolizing the three great beauties of nature - snow, moon, and flowers - "Snow, Moon, and Flowers" has come to be frequently quoted in Japanese poetry and art, and has been a particularly popular subject in court culture and waka poetry.

Combining Japanese poetry with snow, moon, and flowers

In Japan, the concept of "snow, moon, and flowers" has been seen as a playful aesthetic sense, combining the three elements at once. For example, Otomo no Yakamochi's poem in the Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) "On a moonlit night atop the snow, I will pick plum blossoms and give them to my beloved child" expresses the elegant sensibility of enjoying snow, moon, and flowers all at once. As in this poem, the combination of snow, moon, and flowers pursues the pinnacle of natural beauty and also contains the sentiment of "remembering the lord most," reflecting the spirit of Bai Juyi's poetry.

The Miyagawa Kosai family tradition: straw ash glaze and its techniques

Among the traditional techniques passed down through the generations of the Miyagawa Kosai family, straw ash glaze plays a particularly important role. This glaze was also used by Nonomura Ninsei, the founder of Kyoto ware, and is one of the techniques symbolizing the Miyagawa family's Makuzu ware. The use of straw ash glaze creates a mellow, milky white surface, and its unique elegance adds depth to the piece. The color of vessels coated with straw ash glaze changes depending on the type of clay and the firing process, sometimes displaying a warm reddish hue and sometimes a cool bluish-white, giving them a variety of expressions.

The history of Makuzu ware and the succession of the Miyagawa family

The history of Makuzu ware dates back to the early Edo period, during the Jokyo era (1684-1687), when Yukan Miyagawa Kobee Masakazu moved from Omi Province (present-day Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture) to Kyoto and began making pottery in front of Chion-in Temple. His descendants continued to use the names "Jibei" and "Kousai," and the Miyagawa family has continued to produce pottery for 330 years. Makuzu ware is widely known as utensils for sencha (green tea) and the tea ceremony, and its gorgeous and elegant style is highly regarded both in Japan and abroad. Makuzu ware pieces are currently held in numerous collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), the Permanent Mission of Japan to UNESCO (Paris), and the Japan Foundation. This piece beautifully combines the poetic beauty of "Snow, Moon, and Flowers" with the Miyagawa Kosai family's traditional straw ash glaze technique. The contrast between the brilliance of the moon painted in silver and the snow and flowers depicted in gold and red gives the entire vessel a poetic feeling.The 330-year history of Makuzu ware and the unique texture of the straw ash glaze make this sake cup even more appealing.

A conversation with Miyagawa Kosai