Mikiya Kobayashi Gives Kutani Porcelain a Modern Twist

posted by  RamenRyan | 9 years ago

Photo? by Yosuke Owashi courtesy Mikiya Kobayashi | click to enlarge

Kutani porcelain dates back to the mid-1600s and is one of the backbones of Japanese pottery. The style is known for its wealth of colors— greens, blues, yellows, purples, and reds—and bold designs. Putting a modern twist on this traditional craft is industrial designer Mikiya Kobayashi.

Teaming up with Kobayashi is Kutani Choemon, a pottery manufacturer in Ishikawa, Japan with roots that date back to 1879. Kobayashi decided to create a series of cups and saucers based on the contemporary concept of “picnic.” The nonohana series in particular were created to bring to mind the colors and form of a flower field.

The series aren’t available online yet but they’re currently being sold through Taiyou no Shita, a furniture and lifestyle shop operated by Kobayashi’s design office.If you like his creations, check out the toothpick holder and bottle opener he designed.

the nonohana (flower field) cup and saucer

read the original article