5 Tea or coffee cups, kappa decoration – Kutani Kōsen (九谷光仙), Japan, mid-20th century

A rare set of five Kutani glazed ceramic cups, signed by the painter Kōsen , active in the Ishikawa region during the Shōwa period. Each cup is finely hand-decorated with a kappa , a legendary creature from Japanese folklore, depicted here in a series of humorous and lively scenes: fishing, dancing, carrying a lantern, playing an instrument, or working in the fields.

The drawing, executed with a lively and free brush, reveals a sure hand and an amused look at this popular theme. The colored enamel and the slight variations in shade between the pieces testify to the entirely manual work, typical of the Kutani workshops.

In Japanese tradition, the kappa is an aquatic yōkai, mischievous and ambivalent, both protector of rivers and a prankster feared for his mischievous tricks. Depicting it on everyday objects is not trivial: it symbolizes the balance between nature and human life, humor in the face of the strangeness of the world, and the constant presence of wonder in ordinary gestures.

These cups embody this dialogue between function and fantasy where the utilitarian object becomes a support for mythological and poetic narration.

Height: 9.4 cm — Diameter: 6.8 cm