SAKURA, Small Dish, Plate, Kutani Ware

Area

The Ceramics Capital of Japan

The Marumo Takagi pottery can be found in one of the great centers of Japanese ceramics - Mino in Gifu Prefecture. This valley in central Japan, enclosing the towns of Tajimi and Toki, has been renowned for its production of exquisite ceramics for 1300 years. Over the centuries, Mino has provided the backdrop for the creation of various styles of ceramic wares, many of which have become emblematic of Japan's excellence in this art form.

The region's pottery was the choice of many daimyo lords, especially when the tea ceremony became a fixture of high culture in the 16th century. And, indeed, Mino has remained the great hub for Japanese ceramic production since then. Today the towns in the valley are synonymous in Japan with pottery, and visitors flock to experience the kilns and ateliers of the region.

History

Over 130 Years of Exquisite Tableware

Building on these centuries of craftsmanship, Marumo Takagi was founded in 1887 and originally focused on producing sake cups. Five generations of the Takagi family have led the company since then, and they have maintained their pioneering excellence throughout that time. The company quickly gained expertise in creating tableware using a variety of materials and techniques - from lacquerware to glassware, pottery to porcelain.

Marumo has inherited the best of the Mino ceramic traditions, while continuing to innovate for the needs of modern life. This combination of lineage and modern sensibilities is why many of Japan's top restaurants choose Marumo's pieces for their establishments, and why Marumo counts Japanese embassies around the world as regular customers.

Characteristic

Taking Japanese Innovation to the World

Under the current president, Takagi Masaharu, the company has moved in exciting new directions. He was keen to spread the beauty and versatility of his family's products outside Japan, and has worked tirelessly to produce vessels that are both practical and evocative of Japanese cuisine and culture.

Emblematic of Masaharu's approach is the Warm and Cool Series. This set of stunningly realized glass and ceramic vessels was the result of Masaharu's desire to create pieces that would reflect the precision of food and drink serving temperatures in Japanese cuisine and, simultaneously, express the beauty of the four seasons - so beloved in Japanese culture. And so, the series was born, with the vivid colors in each vessel coming alive when in contact with either warm or cold food and drink. However, achieving this was no mean feat; it required much experimentation with different pigments and firing temperatures in the kiln. The effort poured into each prototype finally resulted in the exquisite pieces you now see in the series.

For Customers

Refinement and Enjoyment in Every Piece

Marumo Takagi has created a line of practical, yet visually stunning pieces that bring the beauty and aesthetics of Japanese culture and nature to the world. With over a century of experience in carefully crafting tableware for some of the most esteemed clients in Japan, Marumo has an intimate connection and understanding of how each vessel works with the finest cuisine. The Warm and Cool series demonstrates this wonderfully, with the warm vessels expressing their beautiful colors at 45 °C and the cool versions doing the same at 17 °C.

Using their products is a rare chance to experience something of great decorative refinement, and is an opportunity to bring a little aesthetic joy into your daily life. Each design has a noticeable precision of color and line that makes for vivid, but elegant patterns. And with inspiration for the designs coming from an array of sources, from William Morris to traditional Kutani Ware images, these are truly pieces that marry the best in Japanese techniques with modern inspiration.