Questions?

The main rule is simple: no dishwasher, ever. The heat and detergent will damage the glaze and can crack the clay body.

Rinse by hand with lukewarm water and a drop of mild soap if needed. Then let the piece dry fully in the air before you put it away. Moisture sitting inside porous clay is what causes problems over time.

If you're using a chawan, rinse it with warm water before you make the tea. A cold bowl meeting hot water too quickly can stress the clay. It takes ten seconds and makes a difference.

Porous clays like Hagi-yaki need more attention than fully glazed pieces. They absorb liquid and over time that changes them. Many people consider this part of the point. The bowl becomes yours. But it also means you treat it differently than a mug from a shop.

Each listing has specific care instructions for the piece in question. Read those first.

Keep it out of direct sunlight. UV light fades urushi and can cause it to crack over time. The same goes for dry air.

A bowl sitting next to a radiator all winter will not thank you for it. Stable temperature, stable humidity, away from the window. That's the environment lacquerware wants.

For cleaning, a soft dry cloth is usually enough. If you need to remove a mark, use a lightly damp cloth and dry it gently straight away. No abrasive sponges, no chemicals, nothing sharp.

Urushi is hard but it's not indestructible, and scratches in the surface are not something that can be undone.

The one thing to avoid is water. Don't clean a kokeshi with a wet cloth. The paint can lift and the wood will swell.

A soft dry brush for the details, a lint-free dry cloth for the larger surfaces. That's all it needs.

Keep wooden pieces away from radiators and heating vents. Wood that dries out too fast can crack or split, especially older pieces that have already been through decades of seasons.

A spot where the temperature stays reasonably consistent is where they'll be happiest.

Vintage silk is not fragile in the way people expect. It has survived decades already. But it does have rules.

The main one: don't wash it at home. Silk this old needs dry cleaning, and even then, only if it genuinely needs it. Cleaning puts stress on aged fibres. If a piece just needs to be freshened, hang it in a ventilated room away from direct light for a day. That is usually enough.

Store it folded, not hanging. Hanging pulls the weave over time, especially along the shoulders of a haori. Wrap it in acid-free tissue if you have it, or clean cotton. Not plastic. Silk needs to breathe, and plastic traps moisture.

Keep it away from light. Silk fades, particularly dyed silk, and once the colour has shifted it doesn't come back. A drawer or a box is better than an open shelf or a hanger in a bright wardrobe.

For moths: cedar or lavender nearby is fine, but not touching the fabric directly. The oils can leave marks on silk over time.

If you need to press it, turn it inside out and use the lowest heat setting with a cloth between the iron and the fabric. Better still, hang it in a steamy bathroom and let the creases fall out on their own.