The plates belong to a category called Zakki (雑器), which means simple, ordinary, everyday utensils in Japanese. Works from this category were not made by renowned master craftspeople for the rich and famous. Rather, they were made by highly skilled but “ordinary” people who poured their hearts into making treasures like these available to all. While I deeply appreciate those works created by master artisans, I equally love extraordinary Zakki works.


These plates may awaken your imagination as you think about what to serve on them and how you curate your table setting. Alternatively, one could mount this set horizontally on a wall, as if to create a row of windows peeking into a forest.