Individual Plates - JS Ko-Imari Floral Pattern 135mm

A modern individual plate featuring auspicious patterns symbolizing wealth. It can be used as a small plate, serving plate, or dessert plate. Suitable for use as a side plate or for small servings, whether for dishes or desserts, this individual plate is of a convenient size. The shape has been passed down for generations at the Yazaemon kiln. The forming of the base material involves stacking specialized plaster molds with convex and concave pairs, and using a forming method called "pressure casting," where liquid clay known as "slip" is poured under pressure. Once the slip hardens due to the absorbency of the plaster, the molded piece is removed from the mold. This method is particularly suitable for shaping irregularly designed pottery. Afterward, it is dried and trimmed to refine the shape. In porcelain production, the final shaping is done through trimming, which requires skilled craftsmanship as an essential step. The prepared base is then bisque-fired at 920°C over two days. Each piece is individually coated with a unique glaze using a brush, followed by reduction firing at 1300°C for three days. Subsequently, an overglaze decoration is added and fired again at 800°C to complete the piece. The traditional Koi-Imari floral patterns are expressed in black and platinum. The motif features bats, considered auspicious since the word for "bat" and "fortune" are homophones in Chinese, symbolizing wealth. This creates an auspicious pattern representing prosperity. By keeping the traditional design intact and changing the colors to black and platinum, the pattern is given a modern expression. Auspicious patterns have been widely used in Arita porcelain by past potters, inspired by their wish to enrich the lives of users both materially and spiritually. We hope to deliver this sentiment to people around the world through these pieces.