Cup and Saucer
1875 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a fine and early example of a coffee set made in Japan for export to the west. The Minpei workshop was established in 1823 on the island of Awaji in the Inland Sea using technology imported from Kyoto. Kashu Sanpei, a nephew of the founder Kashu Minpei (1796-1871), took over the running of the workshop in 1867. He later moved to Tokyo to set up a factory specialising in ceramics for export. The coffee set was part of a group of over 200 ceramics bought on behalf of the V&A by the Japanese Exposition commissioners with funds provided by Philip Cunliffe-Owen, an ardent Japanophile who was director of the V&A from 1874 to 1893. The instructions sent to the commissioners were that they should ‘make an historical collection of porcelain and pottery from the earliest period until the present time, to be formed in such a way as to give fully the history of the art.’
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Earthenware with crackled cream glaze decorated in overglaze enamels and gold |
| Brief description | Cup and saucer, part of a coffee service, earthenware with crackled cream glaze decorated in overglaze enamels and gold; made by Kashu Sanpei, Minpei Workshop, Japan, Meiji period, 1875. |
| Physical description | Cup and saucer, part of a coffee service. Painted with flowering trees and shrubs in enamel colours. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Nihon Awaji Kashu Sanpei' in gilt on base
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| Object history | Purchased from the Japanese Commissioners for the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876, accessioned in 1877. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Association | |
| Summary | This is a fine and early example of a coffee set made in Japan for export to the west. The Minpei workshop was established in 1823 on the island of Awaji in the Inland Sea using technology imported from Kyoto. Kashu Sanpei, a nephew of the founder Kashu Minpei (1796-1871), took over the running of the workshop in 1867. He later moved to Tokyo to set up a factory specialising in ceramics for export. The coffee set was part of a group of over 200 ceramics bought on behalf of the V&A by the Japanese Exposition commissioners with funds provided by Philip Cunliffe-Owen, an ardent Japanophile who was director of the V&A from 1874 to 1893. The instructions sent to the commissioners were that they should ‘make an historical collection of porcelain and pottery from the earliest period until the present time, to be formed in such a way as to give fully the history of the art.’ |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 288C/CUP&SAUC-1877 |
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| Record created | March 30, 2010 |
| Record URL |
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