One Piece x Arita porcelain collaboration is colorful, fun and worthy of artistic display

07:11 cherishe 0 Comments

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Once again, a popular anime has been turned into a work of traditional Japanese art — with vividly stunning results!

We’ve seen anime fused with traditional Japanese porcelain before, including the Gundam Kutani ware we reported on earlier this month. This time, mega-hit manga and anime One Piece has become a gorgeous Arita porcelain plate!

Arita porcelain, also known as Imari porcelain, is named after the town of Arita in Saga Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, where the ware is produced. The craft has four centuries of history, so you can be sure that plenty of tradition and skill has gone into the making of this plate.

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As you can see, the detailed illustration on the plate depicts the beginning of the “New World” arc of the One Piece series, a scene that should be familiar to fans. The somewhat ukiyoe-like style of the artwork matches the feel of the traditional porcelain quite well.

The plate, which features white porcelain decorated with red paint and traditional Arita glazes in colors such as blue, millet, and purple, plus even a bit of actual gold paint, is made by fine porcelain maker Koransha, which can trace back its origins to over 300 years ago.

▼ The back of the plate is decorated with the One Piece logo.

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▼ The familiar characters are brought to life with the vivid Arita colors! The clothes they’re wearing feature stylized versions of a traditional pattern known as kissho monyo, which depicts animals and objects thought to bring good luck.

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▼ Close-ups of the artwork

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The plate measures 28 centimeters (just over 11 inches) in diameter, and is available now for preorder on the Premium Bandai online shop at a price of 27,000 yen (US$220) for shipment in March next year. Yes, we know that’s a bit pricey for a plate, but it is Arita porcelain after all. Plus, 2016 also marks the 400th anniversary of the development of Arita porcelain, so it should make a nice commemorative item in that sense as well.

We always love it when pop culture is combined with traditional craft with such brilliant results, don’t you?

Related: Koransha
Source: Premium Bandai webiste via Narinari.com
Photos: Premium Bandai website