Soma Ware Sake Set, Carafe and Two Cups

At a glance

- Obori Soma ware (大堀相馬焼), a nationally designated traditional craft; Matsunaga Kiln, Fukushima Prefecture, founded circa 1700 in the Genroku era (1688 to 1704)
- Hashirigoma (走り駒), a running horse painted in the Kano school style, always facing left, said to mean there is no one who can outdo it, a mark of good fortune carried through 300 years
- Tokkuri (徳利) carafe and two double walled guinomi (ぐい呑み) cups

A full sake service rather than just a pair of cups: a pouring carafe alongside two double walled guinomi (ぐい呑み), all three carrying the same crackled glaze and running horse.

Matsunaga Kiln works in Obori Soma ware, a nationally designated traditional craft founded around 1700 in the Genroku era (1688 to 1704), recognised by its celadon glaze crazed into fine blue cracks, aohibi (青ひび), and its horse, hashirigoma (走り駒), always painted facing left.

The kiln itself traces back to Kanpei, who founded it in the Genroku era; five generations later, Masata discovered a new glaze in 1873, and the line was reopened by descendant Shigeo in 1910 after a gap. More recently, the 2011 disaster closed the original Namie site for good, and Matsunaga Kiln rebuilt first from Nasu, Tochigi, then permanently in Nishigo Village, Fukushima, from April 2014.

The horse is no accident: it always faces left, said to mean there is no one who can outdo it, a mark of good fortune this tradition has carried through 300 years. A set like this has long been a fixture of celebration gifts in Japan, business openings, housewarmings, retirements, the horse's good fortune passed on with the cup itself.