Vintage · Made in Japan · one of one
Kutani porcelain · white and gold leaf · 30 cm
Kutani Tama-nori Shishi, White and Gold
A Kutani tama-nori shishi, a lion with its paw on a ball, in white porcelain detailed with gold leaf. A substantial piece: 30 cm tall and just over three kilograms.
$330 Free shipping to 32 countries
Order by December 8 to make sure it arrives before Christmas.
We ship to mainland China: free, tracked. Import duties, if any, are paid on delivery. Where we ship
A gift for luck and protection · a new home · a collector
Leaves Fukuoka within three business days by EMS, with tracking.
The story: Kutani wareWatch the 64-second film, or read it →What buyers say · ★★★★★ on Etsy
“Received updates regarding the item I purchased and when it arrived could tell that it was packed with care; my fragile ceramic bunny arrived in perfect condition! A wonderful purchase and I would buy from this shop again”
Jessica · United States
1 more from buyers
“Item was as described and in photos shown. Excellent quality. Seller very knowledgable and took the time to explain everything”
Tiang N. · Australia
- Made in Japan. Made in Japan, found in Japan, and sent to you from Fukuoka.
- One of one. This exact piece, photographed in our studio in Fukuoka.
- Returns within 14 days of delivery. Not right? Send it back as it came and we refund the full price, return postage included.
- Packed safely, sent by EMS within three business days, fully insured, with tracking.
Duties, checkout and extras
- ★ 5.0 on Etsy · Star Seller. Read the reviews ↗
- Import tax. It depends on your country; if any is due, it is collected on delivery.
- US import duties. Already included in the price: nothing to pay at your door.
- Secure checkout by Stripe — cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay. No account needed.
- Two pieces, one parcel. Each extra piece in the same order is $15 off at checkout.
- Orders of $200 or more travel with a gift to keep: Japanese chopsticks with a rest in a paulownia box, or a Nara kaya-cloth handkerchief.
The story
Walk up to almost any shrine in Japan and two stone guardians will be waiting at the entrance. Look at their mouths. One is open, one is closed. The open one is saying "a", the first sound of the old Sanskrit alphabet. The closed one is saying "un", the last. Between them they hold everything, beginning to end, and nothing bad gets past.
In a pair, one lion often rests a paw on a ball, the tama, while the other guards a cub. The ball is said to stand for wisdom and the jewel of truth. Kept at home, the tama-nori shishi is a talisman, said to invite good fortune and turn bad luck away from the door.
The craft
Kutani porcelain from Ishikawa, in white, with overglaze enamel and gold leaf worked into the mane and the ball.
Living with it
A front hall, a study, a shelf that faces the door. At just over three kilograms it sits firmly and does not need much company. If you are the one in your family who quietly keeps watch, it will feel like a colleague. A gift for a new home.
• Kutani porcelain, overglaze enamel and gold leaf • Vintage • Made in Japan
How it travels
Packed safely, insured in full
Every piece is packed by hand in Fukuoka inside a sturdy 3 mm corrugated carton, cushioned all round with air pillows so it cannot move. It travels with tracking all the way to your door: by EMS, insured for its full value, on orders of $100 or more, and by tracked airmail below that.
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A question about this piece — size, marks, condition? Ask the house, we answer within a day.