Ko-Imari
In the early 17th century, the first porcelain fire was lit in Japan in the Arita region of Hizen Province. The earliest “Shoki-Imari” pieces were presented to tea masters and feudal lords, created to adorn domestic interiors.
By the late 17th century, blue and white plates and soba cups enriched the lives of common people, while simultaneously, kinrande and large dishes were fired to grace the banquet tables of European royalty and nobility across the seas.
Vessels born from a single kiln connected the everyday with the exotic, tranquility with splendor—Ko-Imari is the very story of Japanese porcelain.
Soba Cup
When the aroma of soba filled the streets of Edo, small vessels found their way into people’s hands. Cylindrical in shape, standing merely five or six centimeters tall—these were soba cups.
Born to hold soba dipping sauce, they became sake cups for sharing drinks and small bowls supporting the dining table.
Blue and white floral and auspicious patterns added subtle joy to daily life, each piece possessing its own character. Though produced in large quantities, no two were exactly alike—soba cups are small stages that convey the spirit of Edo to the present day.
