Japanese Red Akae Sake Cup with Green Crab, Shrimp and Fish

A small, elegantly flared porcelain cup on a short foot, glazed all over the outside in rich coral-red. It's painted in emerald green with a crab, a long-whiskered shrimp, a little fish and fan-shaped sea plants, all outlined in fine black lines. Thin black bands run around the rim and base, and the foot has a blue line and a tan edge. Inside it is clean white porcelain with a double blue ring at the rim. The base carries a hand-painted blue signature. It is most likely Japanese akae (red overglaze) ware, and it's a lovely size for sake, a shot of tea or a tiny posy. The enamels are bright and the cup is in good condition.

Akae means "red painting". It is the Japanese art of decorating porcelain with overglaze enamels led by red, fired again at a lower temperature after the main glaze. The first red overglaze painting in Japan is said to have been done in Arita, in Saga Prefecture, during the Shōhō era (1644–1648). The style later flourished in Kutani, where artisans became famous for incredibly fine red brushwork. Sea creatures like crabs and shrimp are a favourite playful motif on cups made for sake.