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