Soma Ware Cup, Eight Horses, 150ml

At a glance

• Eight running horses surround a central left-facing horse character, creating a good-fortune wish that “things will go well”
• Fine crackle spreads across the pale green glaze, giving every surface its own network of lines
• Compact 150ml single-wall cup for tea or a shorter coffee, microwave and dishwasher safe

Eight horses circle the cup, but the character at the centre completes the story.

A hidari-uma, or left-horse character, sits among the eight running horses. Together they create the Japanese wordplay umaku iku, meaning “things will go well”, turning the design into a wish for good fortune rather than simply a horse motif.

Across the pale green glaze is aohibi, the fine blue crackling associated with Obori Soma Ware. The network develops across the surface during firing, adding quiet variation around the painted horses and giving the cup something different to notice from every angle.

This version is single-walled, giving it a lighter, simpler form than the double-walled Soma mug. At 150ml, it suits green tea, hojicha or a shorter coffee when you want a smaller serving.

The meaning also gives the cup an easy gift context for a new beginning, move or milestone without needing an obvious congratulatory message printed across it.