| MILITARY CUPS FROM THE KUTANI KILN |
| Many military sake cups and bottles were made at the Kutani kiln in Ishikawa Prefecture. This kiln has been in operation for hundreds of years, and it usually produces colorful pieces. For some reason that I do not know, this kiln produced a great number of military cups during the pre-war years. Probably the reason is simple: There was money to be made since war-themed cups were so popular. The variety of designs is large, but below are some gold wash cups that were produced in large numbers. The most common design was the military star, but many other exist as well. These first examples are not the most beautiful of cups, but they do have a certain charm. The reverses to these cups were almost always black or red with hand-painted abstract designs in gold. Many have hand-stippled designs. The patterns in the gold wash bowls were almost always stamped in, and usually in red, which makes them hard to photograph. Colorful designs are also indicative of cups made at the Kutani kiln. I've included a few examples below. Oftentimes Kutani cups were not personally inscribed, but if they were, the inscription was always on the reverse. The maker's mark was always put on the cup, most often in the base. More Kutani items on page two. |
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