Soma Ware Double-Walled Cup Pair, 100ml & 130ml

At a glance

• Hollow double walls help warm drinks stay warm longer while keeping the cups comfortable to hold
• Fine blue crackle surrounds the left-facing running horse, a good-fortune motif meaning “nothing surpasses it”
• Presented in a wooden gift box, well suited to weddings, anniversaries and housewarmings

These two cups are made as a pair, but deliberately not identical.

One holds approximately 130ml and the other 100ml, giving each person a slightly different size while keeping the same pale green glaze, fine blue crackle and running horse design.

Their hollow double-wall construction changes how the cups feel in use. The layer of air between the inner and outer walls reduces how much heat reaches your hands while helping a warm drink cool more slowly. With colder drinks, the same construction also helps reduce condensation on the outside.

Across the glaze, fine aohibi blue crackling forms naturally during cooling. Each network of lines develops differently, giving every cup subtle variation of its own.

The running horse adds another layer of meaning. Traditionally painted facing left, it connects with a Japanese expression meaning “there is no one to its right”, or nothing surpasses it. Over generations, the horse became a good-fortune motif associated with milestones and new beginnings.

Presented together in a wooden box, the pair makes a thoughtful wedding, anniversary or housewarming gift. The practical double-wall construction also gives both cups a reason to become part of everyday tea, coffee or other smaller drinks long after the occasion itself.

Made by Matsunaga Kiln in Fukushima Prefecture.