Nabeshima Tortoiseshell Pattern Sakazuki Flat Sake Cup
This sakazuki flat sake cup is meticulously decorated with the traditional kikko “tortoiseshell” design using extremely fine brush strokes drawn by skilled craftsmen. The name of this tortoiseshell pattern is the Bishamon kikko pattern, inspired by the chain armor of Bishamonten, the god of war. It features the mitsumori kikko motif, with three tortoiseshell shapes interlinked to form a unified design.
The inner surface of the sakazuki flat sake cup is decorated with the tortoiseshell pattern, a classic Nabeshima pattern, while the reverse side is adorned with a cloisonne pattern and the side of the stand displays the iconic kushime “comb” pattern of Nabeshima ware.
The style of iro-Nabeshima has traditional rules, consisting of one color for sometsuke (indigo blue) and three colors for akae (red, yellow, and green). After the outline is drawn in indigo blue gosu pigment, overglaze painting in red, kibi (yellow), and moe (green) is used to color in the design. Although it may seem that many colors are used, in fact, only three are applied—a hallmark of iro-Nabeshima—and its beauty is regarded as the pinnacle of Japanese porcelain.
