Made by chanto · Hikone, Shiga
Urushi Lacquer Wooden Espresso Cup | chanto
Meet the maker
Hikone, Shiga
A lacquerware brand from Inoue, a Buddhist altar maker of more than 100 years in Hikone, Shiga. Created with designer Takumi Shimamura,...
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A small wooden cup with a band of colour
This little cup fits snugly in the palm of your hand. Use it for espresso, or as a sake cup, where the urushi colour adds to the pleasure of the drink. The lacquer covers the rim, where your lips touch, and the whole of the inside. Leaving the outside as bare wood keeps the cup light in feel and gives it a soft, natural look.
Its form is turned on a lathe using the traditional woodturning skills of Yamanaka lacquerware.
Colours only a craftsman can repeat
What makes chanto stand out is its vivid coloured urushi, shades you rarely see in lacquerware. Coloured lacquer changes subtly with temperature and humidity, so mixing exactly the same colour again and again is one of the hardest things to do. chanto’s craftsman reproduces each complex colour every time; the skill is in what you do not notice.
Each piece is finished by the workshop; depending on the colour and quantity, it may take about 1–2 weeks to ship. Delivered in chanto’s original box.
About chanto
chanto comes from Hikone in Shiga Prefecture, a town with some 300 years of history in making Buddhist altars. The skills behind those altars, lacquering, woodworking, gold leaf and carving, first developed to make armour for the Hikone domain. Inoue, an altar maker of more than 100 years, created chanto with designer Takumi Shimamura to bring this craftsmanship into modern life. In the local dialect, “chanto” describes sitting up straight and doing things properly. The brand’s concept is the café: just as cafés have become part of everyday life, chanto hopes urushi lacquerware can become an everyday essential again.
Specifications
- Size: approx. 5.7 cm diameter × 5.7 cm high (2.2 × 2.2 in)
- Material: wood, urushi lacquer (rim and inside)
- Colours: orange, brown, pink, yellow
- Made in Japan
Care
- No special care is needed. Wash with an ordinary sponge and dish soap.
- Wipe off water droplets with a cloth rather than leaving it to air-dry, as minerals in tap water can leave white marks.
- Not suitable for dishwashers, dish dryers or microwaves.
- Urushi lacquer gradually changes in tone with age and use, part of its character.
The maker behind this piece
chanto
Hikone, Shiga
A lacquerware brand from Inoue, a Buddhist altar maker of more than 100 years in Hikone, Shiga. Created with designer Takumi Shimamura, chanto applies the town’s centuries-old urushi and woodworking skills to colourful, café-style tableware for everyday life.
