When we saw this postage stamp, we thought: "Hey, this looks familiar!"
The stamp set commemorates traditional Japanese crafts and one of them shows Kutani pottery in the Yoshidaya style...and we happen to have one such vase in our shop! (And they are not easy to come by either!)
Pine, the evergreen tree, symbolizes longevity and health. The hawk, with its sharp talons and keen eyes, is quick to grasp good fortune.
The Yoshidaya style of Kutani pottery makes use of only four colours: blue, yellow, green and purple. If you look closely, the brown-looking colours of the pine branches and parts of the hawk are really a tinge of purple.
Yoshidaya pottery are stamped with fuku (福) in a double square block. (Fuku means "good luck".)
To see if this item is still available for purchase, click here.
(All photos by the ikebana shop. All rights reserved.)