These cups by Kasama-based ceramicist Aya Kondo, are from her patchwork glaze series. Rich mossy greens, and sweeter brown caramels form blocks of colour that run into each other, and decorate the side of the cups - which are suitable for tea or sake.

As each piece is hand made, there are subtle variations between them.

Height 5.5 cm Diameter 9.5cm

Weight: 135g

About Aya Kondo

The work of Aya Kondo comes from a quiet obsession. A brief career as a public employee, and then time spent travelling in Asia led her eventually to pottery training in Mashiko. In 2001 in nearby Kasama, she established her own kiln, enveloped by nature. As the years pass, so has there been a gradual evolution in her style. A key element remains detailed arabesque patterning which she achieves by hand painting slip using a dripper. More recently Kondo has added deep moss green, Oribe type glazes in a patchwork alongside her trademark sweet yellowish brown. An important figure in the Kasama pottery scene for most of the last twenty years, Aya Kondo’s ceramics are a kind and refined presence in homes all around Japan.