Kyle's Birthday Sake Cup - 19c Ho-O Bird

We got Kyle another sake cup for his birthday.  He's up to three, so that's officially a collection.  For his records, in case he's ever looking them up.

I didn't know what a Ho-O bird was, so I looked it up.  "According to legend (mostly from China), the Hō-ō appears very rarely, and only to mark the beginning of a new era -- the birth of a virtuous ruler, for example. In other traditions, the Hō-ō appears only in peaceful and prosperous times (nesting, it is said, in paulownia trees), and hides itself when there is trouble. As the herald of a new age, the Hō-ō decends from heaven to earth to do good deeds, and then it returns to its celestial abode to await a new era. It is both a symbol of peace (when the bird appears) and a symbol of disharmony (when the bird disappears). In China, early artifacts show the Phoenix (female) as intimately associated with the Dragon (male) -- the two are portrayed either as mortal enemies or as blissful lovers. When shown together, the two symbolize both conflict and wedded bliss, and are a common design motif even today in many parts of Asia (see below).

鳳 = Fèng, Male Phoenix    凰 = Huáng, Female Phoenix"

The size of Cup: 3 7/16" Dia x 2 3/4" High. Nice Blue and White Japanese Imari Porcelain Soba Choko Cup. The cup is nicely shaped with good porcelain material and nice detail painting of two Ho-O Bird in front and back. There is also nice motif design of Yoraku design inside rim area. Inside bottom has Sho-Chiku-Bai design. Blue under glazing painting is well contrasted. The condition of Cup is excellent, no chip, no crack and no hairline. One Hittsuki (glaze stick) on the side of foot rim as last photo show, minor. Well balanced cup. Dating from early Meiji, late 19c.

Pictures!

Kyle's Christmas Sake Cup - 1750

We got Kyle another sake cup for Christmas this year, so now he officially has a collection.  The way I figure it, if he ever wants to go on some sort of midlife bender, a collection of historic sake cups won't lose their value and should be able to fund a nice vacation. Or perhaps he can impress a mail-order Japanese bride with them. And they look pretty on a shelf until then.  I suspect they're cool for drinking sake from as well, although perhaps he feels nervous drinking out of something older than the United States.  I would.

In case his nephew isn't suitably impressed, he should point out that this is a mystical cup that appeases Gojira and keeps the world safe.  Then again, maybe not.  Depending on how much J. wants to see Godzilla in person.

I wanted to put the details out here, so Kyle can find them if he ever needs them.

Blue and White Ko Imari Soba Choko Cup Mid 18c (see below - estimated 1750).


"The size of Soba Choko: 3" Dia x 2 3/8" High. Japanese Blue and White(Sometsuke) Porcelain Soba Choko Cup from 18 century. The Soba Choko cup is made from finely made porcelain body with straight line. It has Ichimatsu pattern and mesh design pattern. It is simply yet attractive design. The condition of Cup is very good, there is no crack and no hairline, except noting there are some foot rim with some Kamadashi Ato(original kiln flaw spots when removed from kiln) and old nicks. You can see from photos. Otherwise excellent condition. The age of Soba Choko from mid 18 century around 1750 (Horeki Period, Middle Edo) which we guarantee the age."

Ko Imari Soba Choko

Pooteewheet, Eryn and I went in on a nicer than usual present for Kyle this year, a sake cup (Doing double time as a soup cup. Soba is a noodle soup. Choko is a type of sake cup. Given the size of the cup, it's either a generous helping of sake, or a minimal serving of soup.) and two bottles of sake, including one called "snowdrift" that has a sort of dubious substance resting on the bottom. Kyle has already opened the present, but I wanted to get some pictures and documentation from the web site out here so he has details when discussing the cup if he so pleases. I thought about getting him a cup from the 18th century, because a 250 year old cup just sounds cooler than a 160 year old cup, but once you get that far back a lot of things are two tone blue and white and not as pretty. I also liked the initials on the bottom of this one. They give it character.

Japanese Ko Imari Soba Choko, Cup 19c (pre-1837) purchased from Sanai Fine Arts and Antiques
The size of cup: 3 1/4" Dia x 2 1/2" High. Very nice Japanese Ko Imari Porcelain Soba Choko, Cup. The cup has nice shape body. Inside bottom with Sho Chiku Bai. The rim edge with diamond design done very nicely. There are three window of design with the lantern and tree. There is also three smaller windows. The Gold Karakusa with red background around. Nice sometsuke foot rim design. It is marked with Seika Nensei. The condition of cup Excellent, no chip, no crack and no hairline. No enamel loss. Dating from Edo Kouki, 1800-1830.

Panel:


Mini-panel:


Inside:


Bottom edge:


Bottom edge from mini-panel side:


Bottom of the cup: