This item is a cup with a stand, consisting of five components: a stand, a cup, a holder, a pedestal, and a lid, as shown in the "Reference Diagram Explaining the Components Disassembled." When used together, these components allow one to enjoy the "blooming order, blooming, and final blooming of plum and cherry blossoms" through a series of changes in appearance caused by the movement of liquid and the increase or decrease in volume. The stand is colorless and transparent, with a
constriction in the vertical center, inside which an orifice is formed to allow liquid poured from above to drip downward drop by drop. As shown in the "Reference End View of the Stand
Cut along Line CC" and the "Reference End View of the Stand
Cut along Line DD," respectively, the upper half of the stand has a cross-sectional shape resembling a double-flowered flower, while the
lower half has a cross-sectional shape resembling a single-flowered flower. As a result, when water is poured into the stand, the water surface seen from above appears to be blooming plum blossoms, and as the water drips drop by drop from the orifice, it appears as if the plum blossoms are finally blooming. The cup is colorless and transparent, with the inside of the base
cut in the shape of a cherry blossom, and the outside of the hemispherical base is translucent. The outer surface of the side features a spiral depression, and the inside of the side increases in thickness toward the bottom. Water poured into the cup through this shape and the stand causes reflection and
refraction, resulting in various appearances depending on the viewing angle and amount of water. The holder has a
clockwise spiral edge from the top to the middle. The inside of the side features a dotted depression. The cradle supports the stand, cup, and holder, and has a central depression that slightly sinks the holder. The lid functions as a cover to cover the top of the stand before use, and after use, the stand is placed on it and can be used as a stand to catch any remaining drops. A plum
bud pattern is also engraved in the center of the flat surface to prevent it from being mistaken for a cradle. When you first start using this item, you remove the plum
bud from the lid, which gives the impression of plum blossoms blooming on the stand. The method of using this item is explained below. First, remove the lid, which is decorated with a plum
bud pattern, and pour water into the stand. The surface of the water, as seen from above, has a cross-sectional shape that represents the double-flowered flowers in the upper half of the stand, making it look like plum blossoms are blooming (see reference figures 1 to 3 for an explanation of how it is used).Next, as the water drips drop by drop from the orifice, the plum blossoms on the water's surface become smaller and eventually disappear, giving the appearance of the plum blossoms finishing blooming. This represents the plum blossoms finishing blooming, which is described as "spilling." From the outside of the stand, the liquid dripping from the orifice can be seen as sand in an
hourglass, creating the impression of the seasons changing and the blossoms blooming in succession, from plum to cherry blossom. Once all the water has spilled from the stand, remove the stand and place it on the inverted lid (see Reference Figure 5 for an explanation of how it is used). Looking at the water in the cup from directly above, the three-dimensional
cut cherry blossoms appear slightly larger (see Reference Figure 6 for an explanation of how it is used). These appearances create the impression of cherry blossoms blooming. When the cup filled with water is viewed from diagonally above while set in the holder, the dot pattern on the inside of the holder appears to disappear due to the
refraction of the water. Next, lift the cup and holder from the holder stand onto your left palm, like turning a tea bowl in the tea ceremony, and the dot pattern on the inside of the holder becomes visible from the front. Then, with your right
index finger, trace the spiral edge of the holder from directly behind, rotating the cup
clockwise twice with your fingertips. This action, combined with the spiral depressions on the outer sides of the cup and the
refraction of the water, makes the dot pattern appear to fall and sparkle like fluttering cherry blossoms (see Reference Figures 7-10 for an explanation of the use state). Furthermore, when you lift the cup from the holder and look at it from the side, you can see the three-dimensional cuts in the shape of the cherry blossoms that were hidden by the holder, creating the impression of cherry blossoms blooming. As you continue to drink the water and the
water level gradually lowers, the three-dimensional cuts in the shape of the cherry blossoms return to their original appearance. This gives the impression that the cherry blossoms have finished blooming. This series of perceptions embodies the custom of cherry blossom viewing, where you alternate between admiring the blooming and fluttering cherry blossoms. Finally, when you look at the bottom of the cup after finishing drinking, you will see that there are still droplets of water in the small plum blossom-shaped depression in the center of the three-dimensional cherry blossom-shaped
cut. This allows you to notice that the first few drops that spilled from the stand had spilled in the shape of a plum at the bottom of the cup hidden by the holder (Reference Figure 11, explaining how it is used).