Cosmos and Zen — the joy of filling the everyday with an extraordinary sense of beauty.

An Art Object for the Palm
“Sake Cups Aoki-Myojo, Youkou and Gekkou,” sent into the world by Shinemon, master of Arita ware, gives form to an aesthetic of cosmos and Zen. It is a device for deepening the senses, raising the everyday moment of tasting — sake, tea, a meal — into time that sharpens all five.

Youkou and Gekkou — Sunlight and Moonlight
The form is tenmoku, whose source is the National Treasure “Oil-Spot Tenmoku Tea Bowl,” inheriting the visionary spirituality of the cosmos. Youkou means the light of the sun and gekkou the light of the moon: here the gold and platinum rims set against the jet-black porcelain give each cup its own character.

A Galaxy That Occurs Only Once
The shower of galactic meteors in the black — an art born of the kiln’s flame, never repeated — lifts everything it holds and becomes a quiet guide toward reflection.

Many Roles in One Pair
Freely changing role — sake cup, tea vessel, or vessel of hospitality — it brings the quiet pleasure of taking real beauty into daily life.

About Arita Ware
Arita ware is the origin of Japanese porcelain. In 1616, under the rule of the Saga domain lord Naoshige Nabeshima, pottery stone was found in what is now Saga Prefecture and production began. Because the wares were made in Arita and shipped from the port of Imari, they are also known as Imari ware. Carried to Europe by the Dutch East India Company — the only trading partner permitted during Japan’s period of national seclusion — the porcelain was called “white gold” and furnished the courts of royalty and nobility.

What Is a Guinomi?
A guinomi is a small cup for Japanese sake, held in one hand. Among sake vessels it is considered to hold a particularly high rank, and it is often chosen as the vessel for a special drink.

What Is a Meoto Pair?
A meoto pair is a set of two vessels intended to be used together by two people, most often a couple. In Japan it is a long-standing form of gift for a wedding, an anniversary, or a new home — the pair itself carries the wish.

What Is Tenmoku?
Tenmoku is a family of dark iron glazes that came to Japan from China and has been prized in the tea world for centuries. Yuteki tenmoku — oil-spot tenmoku — takes its name from the crystals that surface during firing and scatter across the black glaze like drops of oil on water. Several such bowls are designated National Treasures of Japan.

Why a Paulownia Box
Paulownia wood is light, resists moisture and insects, and moves with changes in humidity — which is why it has been used in Japan for centuries to store what is valuable. A piece delivered in a paulownia box arrives ready to give, and the box itself is part of the gift.

Contents and Dimensions
Sake cup × 2, paulownia box, booklet, turmeric-dyed cloth.
Mouth diameter: 7.3cm / Height: 4.4cm, Capacity: 80ml / Sake cup: approx. 80g, Boxed: 320g
As each piece is handmade, slight variations in size may occur.