Magnolia Mug

Magnolia Flower Sometsuke Mug – Blue & White Ware | Shingama Kiln (Seto, Japan)

This elegant porcelain mug features a magnolia flower delicately painted in shades of blue on a pure white base. The subtle gold detailing at the flower’s core highlights the composition, while the deep indigo leaves provide graceful contrast. The unglazed surface imparts a soft, ink painting–like quality, enhancing its calm and refined presence.
Handcrafted at Shingama Kiln (眞窯) in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, this piece reflects over a century of ceramic artistry. Founded in 1919, Shingama has long specialized in sometsuke (blue-and-white ware), carrying forward the tradition of using gosu pigment and fine brushwork to create timeless designs.
Sometsuke is a celebrated technique in which patterns are painted with gosu—a cobalt-based pigment—onto porcelain, covered with a clear glaze, and then fired. Depending on the base clay, glaze, and kiln atmosphere, the indigo hue of each piece subtly changes, making every work unique. Shingama’s artisans employ the traditional dami technique, applying pigment with bold, fluid brushstrokes that evoke the depth and expressiveness of ink painting.
Recognized in 1997 as a Traditional Craft of Japan by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Seto Sometsuke-yaki continues to be prized both domestically and internationally for its refined forms and evocative brushwork.
With its graceful magnolia motif and practical mug form, this piece offers both everyday usability and timeless beauty—making it a thoughtful gift for those who appreciate fine Japanese ceramics.