1616 Arita Japan TY Palace Collection

Design

26 Apr

Two unglazed porcelain Arita 1616 Japan plates from the TY Standard collection on a textured backdrop.

Delicate yet deceptively strong - the 1616 Arita Japan 'Palace' plates.

I have some wonderful friends in my life. Having had my eyes on these delicate porcelain plates for a long time, would you believe a friend of mine living in Copenhagen sent me two as a surprise.

As an absolute sucker for pottery, the bisque stage of the ceramic process is my absolute favourite. Before it touches the glaze. When the first firing of the clay is done and it has that raw, alabaster-perfect look to it. Of course, bisque is useless if you actually want to use it, but when I find a collection of ceramics that has the look and can also be used, I need it in my life.

'TY Palace' plates designed by Teruhiro Yanagihara for Arita 1616 Japan minimally styled on a textured table top.

About 1616 Arita Japan

Japan has a long history of porcelain production originally introduced by Korea in 1616. Known as 'Aritayaki', a kind of Japanese pottery, it takes its name from the town of Arita, found on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. High-density clay is created from crushed stone specific to the area, giving it heat and stain-resistant qualities. Production continues today, manufactured by Momota Touen and led by creative director and designer Teruhiro Yanagihara.

Bringing a fresh outlook to the brand, Yanagihara's 2016 'TY Standard' collection combines traditional Japanese craft and contemporary aesthetics. And the scalloped edge TY Palace plates were among the first to be used in the Tokyo Palace Hotel. Elegant, minimalist and functional, they are absolute perfection. Their pleasing symmetry and smooth, unglazed shapes inspired me to shoot them against this textured backdrop. I love the contrast between the two.