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.

Aito was established in 1949 in Seto, one of Japan’s foremost pottery centres, long associated with the production of refined porcelain tableware. The company has a history of manufacturing for international design houses, and this set was produced 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)
• Dimensions: Available on request

Collector Appeal

Cross-cultural design pieces of this kind — where Japanese manufacturing meets export-oriented design branding — occupy a growing niche within the secondary market. Complete tea services in unused condition, particularly those retaining their original packaging, are increasingly difficult to source. The Yūzen pattern appeals to collectors drawn to textile-derived decoration and to those seeking more visually expressive alternatives to minimal porcelain wares.

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.