PRODUCT DETAILSMakabe Stone in the HandThis compact Makabe stone cup turns a familiar drinking form into a close encounter with granite. Its cylindrical profile keeps the material visually direct, while the mottled grain makes every viewing angle distinct. At 64 mm in...
PRODUCT DETAILS
This compact Makabe stone cup turns a familiar drinking form into a close encounter with granite. Its cylindrical profile keeps the material visually direct, while the mottled grain makes every viewing angle distinct. At 64 mm in diameter and 54 mm high, it sits as a quiet, weighty presence in the hand.
USE & APPRECIATION
Before opening a notebook or beginning the day’s work, make room for a small pause. Beside paper and warm wood, this cup brings the speckled grain of Makabe stone into a familiar routine. Its simple cylindrical form lets the material hold your attention, whether you are reaching for a sip or setting it down again.
Step back from your desk for a moment and enjoy the cup in clear daylight. At 64 mm in diameter and 54 mm high, it takes little visual space while bringing the weight and grain of natural stone close at hand. Let this compact object give an ordinary break a more tactile character.
Place the cup within reach as you settle at a low wooden table. Its rounded lower edge and mottled gray surface make a gentle contrast with the warm tabletop, adding interest to the simple act of reaching for a drink. Enjoy it on its own or with a suitable resting surface; the square stone plate pictured is not included.
For a restrained meal setting, let one distinctive material provide the detail. The cup’s plain cylindrical shape leaves its granite grain visible beside linen and dark wood, giving the arrangement texture without a busy pattern of tableware. Keep the setting spare and enjoy how the stone changes in appearance as you turn it in your hand.
Lifting the cup from a low table brings its material into closer view. The compact form and substantial stone make this familiar gesture more noticeable, while the pale grain stands out against the wood below. Take time to appreciate that contrast between sips. The square stone plate shown on the table is not included.
During a relaxed conversation indoors, hold the cup in both hands and notice its compact proportions. The weight of Makabe stone and the softly rounded base give the object a tangible presence beyond its appearance on the table. Enjoy the grain at close range as part of an unhurried break, using a suitable non-acidic drink.
A small sip brings the stone from the table into the rhythm of everyday use. The cup’s compact cylinder sits close to the hand, with mineral grain continuing around its simple form. Choose a suitable non-acidic liquid and enjoy the material as you drink, without adding an elaborate setting around it.
Take a quiet break at a terrace table and let daylight reveal another side of the cup. Against timber and greenery, the gray grain provides a distinct contrast while the compact form leaves the setting uncluttered. Place it gently on a stable surface and enjoy a suitable non-acidic drink in the open air.
An outdoor pause can be as simple as a seat, a view of greenery, and a small drink. Raised to the hand, the Makabe stone cup adds weight and texture to that familiar moment. Let the natural grain be part of what you notice between sips, choosing a suitable non-acidic liquid.
OBJECT PASSPORT / CARE & USE
Follow the care and use guidance shown here. Avoid acidic liquids, and do not use the cup in a microwave, oven, or on induction equipment.
OBJECT PASSPORT
CRAFT HERITAGE
The Makabe area of Ibaraki has long used its high-quality granite to make tools and objects for daily life. The local stone industry is said to have begun with the production of Buddhist stonework around Nagaoka in Makabe at the end of the Muromachi period.
The oldest confirmed Makabe stone lantern, dated 1824, stands within the grounds of a temple in Makabe. The stonemason who made it is credited with establishing the techniques that continue in the craft today.
TRADITIONAL CRAFT PROCESS
About the Making Process
A Makabe stone lantern is composed of six separately carved elements: the hoju finial, kasa roof, hibukuro fire chamber, uke platform, sao shaft, and jirin base.
Each component is marked, carved by hand, and finished individually before the lantern is assembled with mortise-and-tenon joints.
Eighteen traditional techniques are used across the process, supported by specialized tools such as chisels and bishan.
1. Stone Selection
2. Hoju Finial
3. Kasa Roof
4. Hibukuro Fire Chamber
5. Uke (Middle Platform)
6. Sao (Shaft)
7. Jirin (Base)
8. Assembly
MEET THE MAKER
MAKER · MAKABE, IBARAKI
Iwabuchi Sangyo works with stone in Makabe, Ibaraki, combining modern processing equipment with traditional hand carving. Its practice is grounded in judging the character of the material, establishing form with precision, and finishing the surface by hand where the work requires it.
Hisayuki Iwabuchi represents the workshop in Makabe, one of Japan’s long-established stoneworking regions. He is recognized as a Traditional Craftsperson in Makabe stone lantern making, was named a Contemporary Master Craftsman in 2021, and received the Medal with Yellow Ribbon in 2022.
Modern machinery allows the workshop to cut and shape stone with power and consistency. It does not remove the need for judgment. From design through processing and inscription, the studio works in-house, moving between mechanical preparation and traditional hand carving according to what the piece requires.
A chisel and hammer do more than decorate a machine-cut form. They change how the surface catches light, how an edge feels, and how the mass of the stone is perceived. Small differences in force, spacing, and direction accumulate into the finished character. The maker is not trying to conceal the material’s weight; he is giving that weight a deliberate form.
The workshop’s work includes gravestones, Makabe stone lanterns, stone construction, lettering, and other stone products. Design, processing, and inscription are handled within the business, bringing machine work and hand carving into one continuous practice.
The title of Contemporary Master Craftsman and the Medal with Yellow Ribbon recognize Iwabuchi’s skill and long service to his field.
We currently ship online orders to all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., including Alaska and Hawaii. U.S. territories and countries other than the United States are not currently included.
Estimated arrival is usually within 5–10 business days after payment and order confirmation. This is an estimate and not a guaranteed delivery date. Timing may vary because of the destination, carrier conditions, customs review, weather, remote-area service, or other circumstances outside our reasonable control.
Enter your delivery address at checkout to review the available delivery option, shipping charge, and complete order total before payment.
U.S. orders are shipped on a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) basis, regardless of order value. Where duties, import taxes, or related import charges apply, the amount collected by BRAND JAPAN is shown at checkout. You should not ordinarily be asked by the carrier to pay those charges again upon delivery. If a carrier requests an unexpected import payment, do not pay it immediately; contact us with your order number and the carrier's notice.
If the parcel or item arrives damaged, contact us within 48 hours of delivery. For an incorrect or incomplete order, contact us within 14 days. Keep the item, outer box, inner packaging, and shipping label, and prepare photographs showing their condition. Do not return an item until we provide instructions.
Read the full Shipping Policy for carrier, address-change, delay, and undeliverable-shipment details.
Questions? Email store@brand-japan.ne.jp. Support hours are Monday–Friday, 10:00–18:00 Japan Standard Time, excluding Japanese public holidays.
LATEST OBJECTS
![[Yamanaka Lacquerware] RIN 5.0 Mimosa — product view](http://www.brand-japan.store/cdn/shop/files/BJ_P_00052-hero-4121fa6bd2ec3380.png?v=1788788981&width=1200)
NEW
![[Yamanaka Lacquerware] RIN 5.0 Olive](http://www.brand-japan.store/cdn/shop/files/RIN5.0_BJ_P_00053_97da9a0c-4591-4d33-aea9-922c64b609e3.png?v=1788883469&width=1200)
NEW
![[Yamanaka Lacquerware] RIN 7.0 Olive](http://www.brand-japan.store/cdn/shop/files/RIN7.0__BJ_P_00059_10253509-3787-4c88-afef-22df7f9c5950.png?v=1788883509&width=1200)
NEW
NEW
NEW
NEW
NEW
NEW
NEW
NEW
