Mariko London | Yūzen | Teapot & Five-Beaker Tea Service | Porcelain | Produced by Aito, Japan | c.1980s–1990s
A textile tradition translated into porcelain — the cloth became the surface.
This set was made in Japan by the porcelain manufacturer Aito and sold under the Mariko London name.
The pattern is identified as Yūzen, referencing the traditional Japanese resist-dyeing technique that emerged in 17th-century Kyoto. Known for its richly layered floral compositions and sharply defined colour boundaries, Yūzen textile design is here translated directly onto porcelain. The result is a surface that echoes the density and rhythm of kimono fabric rather than conventional tableware decoration.
The set comprises a teapot and five handleless beakers, consistent with Japanese tea service tradition. The teapot is formed as a tall, square-sectioned cylinder with softly canted corners, fitted with a flat lid and square gilt finial, a looping handle, and a long angled spout with a gold-rimmed aperture. A fine internal mesh infuser is integrated within the body.
The five beakers are cylindrical and handleless, each finished with a gently scalloped gilt rim. Across all pieces, the decoration is arranged in three horizontal bands: deep green grounds at the top and base densely scattered with multicoloured florals, and a broad central band on a warm cream ground carrying a complementary floral composition. Gilded detailing is applied consistently to rims and edges throughout.
All six pieces are in mint, unused condition. There are no chips, cracks, crazing, or loss of any kind. The gilding remains bright and intact. The internal infuser is present and undamaged. The original Mariko London presentation box is included and in good order.
Key Details
- Design brand: Mariko London
- Manufacturer: Aito, Japan
- Pattern: Yūzen (ML 5091)
- Form: Teapot with lid and five handleless beakers
- Material: Porcelain
- Date: c.1980s–1990s
- Condition: Mint, unused throughout
- Teapot: Internal mesh infuser present
- Box: Original presentation box included
- Weight: 981g (set, excluding packaging)
Collector Appeal
The Yūzen pattern carries kimono-style floral decoration across all six pieces, and this set is complete, unused and in its original Mariko London box.
The flowers that cover this set are not decoration in the Western sense — they are a translation of a textile language that never learned to simplify.
