Description: You are bidding on this AMAZING, RARE 15 piece set of Obori-Soma Ware Somayaki Tea Set Golden Horse Double Wall Heart - Japanese. This set includes:One Tea Pot with Lid (Spout is slightly chipped)9 Tea Cups with no HandlesOne covered sugar bowl and creamer3 small 1 7/8" tall cups. Please refer to the photographs as they are part of the description. NOTES: One of the tea cups appears to be larger than the other 8, slightly. It may be a creamer. Not sure.The three little ones are for, who knows????The last two photographs reflect the color better than the others.The photo with one cup and the three little cups is for size reference.The close-up of the tea spout shows the condition. A wonderful 15-piece Obori Somayaki (a/k/a Oborisoma ware and Soma ware) Hashirigoma tea set made in Japan in the 1960s. The history of the characteristic green Soma ware is striking: 1863 - blue-crack pottery was created; 1883 - liquid gold illustrations were added; 1899 - double-layered construction was established. The cracks in the green pottery are created by an apple ash (Aohibi) and a crackle glaze (Sumi-kannyu) is added. Each horse, facing left, is hand-drawn using a painting technique called Hashiri Goma (running horse) in Japanese tradition called the Kano style, and showcases the high level of skill of the illustrator. So, no two horses are exactly alike. The horses face left, meaning it's 'second to none' and 'there is no one who stands to the right of them'. The 'left horse' is a sign of good luck. The ma in Soma means horse. The double-layer or double-wall construction insulates liquids to keep them hot on the inside while the outside stays cool to hands. The double walls are thrown separately by the potter and allowed to dry and form for a while, then the inner wall is joined with the outer wall. The distinctive 'heart' cutouts are the footprints of plovers, wading birds, on an ocean wave... Soma ware is extremely labor intensive and 100% hand crafted. This craft began during the Genroku era (1688-1704) and died out, then was revived after the end of WWII. The earthquake and resulting 2011 nuclear disaster severely affected craftsmen forcing them to relocate. Soma ware is still created by numerous skilled Japanese potters around Japan, and in 1978 designated as one of Japan's national objects of craftsmanship. No two tea cups are alike. All pieces are marked. Please ask any questions you may have prior to bidding. Thank you.
Price: 99.99 USD
Location: Hamilton, Illinois
End Time: 2025-01-16T13:14:10.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Brand: Somaware
Provenance: Ownership History Not Available
Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan
Handmade: Yes
Modified Item: No
Culture: Japanese
