Demitasse Cup — a small Hidehira cup in red lacquer, with pine needles and a wedge of gold leaf at the rim

Why this cup

This is a small cup for a single serving of tea or coffee: 73 mm across, 68 mm tall, and about 120 g. The inside is finished in white lacquer, so the colour of the drink shows clearly against it; the workshop chose the white so that green tea in particular shows its colour well. The outside is red lacquer, and the cup sits on a low foot that keeps it steady on the table.

The pattern

Hidehira-nuri is a lacquer tradition from near Hiraizumi in Iwate, built on gold leaf and hand-painted motifs over a lacquer ground. On this cup, pine needles are drawn in fine dark lines across the red, painted by hand in lacquer, with a wedge of scattered gold leaf along part of the rim above them, wide at one end and narrowing to nothing. The other side of the cup is left plain, so the design shows from one angle and the red stands on its own from the other.

The workshop

Marusan Shikki has worked in Hidehira-nuri since 1904, from a workshop in Ichinoseki now in its fifth generation. This cup is shaped from wood, then built up by hand through lacquer and gold.

What to know before you buy

As with any urushi lacquerware, wash by hand in lukewarm water with a mild detergent, and keep it away from the microwave and dishwasher. For the first two to three months, start with lukewarm rather than very hot food or drink so the lacquer settles in gradually. Dry with a soft cloth, skip long soaking, and store away from direct sunlight.

Details

Sold as a single cup. It measures W73 × D73 × H68 mm and weighs about 120 g. Made to order and shipped from Japan via DHL, with a lead time of approximately two months.

If a small cup for a quiet pause is something you would reach for most days, you can order it below. Any questions on sizing or care are welcome; we read and answer every message ourselves.