{"product_id":"4269","title":"Japanese Sake Cup Pair \"Aoki-Myojo\" Youkou Gekkou - Shinemon Kiln","description":"\u003cp\u003eCosmos and Zen — the joy of filling the everyday with an extraordinary sense of beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn Art Object for the Palm\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYoukou and Gekkou — Sunlight and Moonlight\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe form is tenmoku, whose source is the National Treasure “Oil-Spot Tenmoku Tea Bowl,” inheriting the visionary spirituality of the cosmos. \u003cem\u003eYoukou\u003c\/em\u003e means the light of the sun and \u003cem\u003egekkou\u003c\/em\u003e the light of the moon: here the gold and platinum rims set against the jet-black porcelain give each cup its own character.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Galaxy That Occurs Only Once\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMany Roles in One Pair\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFreely changing role — sake cup, tea vessel, or vessel of hospitality — it brings the quiet pleasure of taking real beauty into daily life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Arita Ware\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArita 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Is a Guinomi?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cem\u003eguinomi\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Is a Meoto Pair?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cem\u003emeoto\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Is Tenmoku?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTenmoku\u003c\/em\u003e is a family of dark iron glazes that came to Japan from China and has been prized in the tea world for centuries. \u003cem\u003eYuteki tenmoku\u003c\/em\u003e — 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy a Paulownia Box\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaulownia 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContents and Dimensions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSake cup × 2, paulownia box, booklet, turmeric-dyed cloth.\u003cbr\u003eMouth diameter: 7.3cm \/ Height: 4.4cm, Capacity: 80ml \/ Sake cup: approx. 80g, Boxed: 320g\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAs each piece is handmade, slight variations in size may occur.\u003c\/em\u003e","brand":"Shinemon Kiln","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54679552327955,"sku":"4573593927215","price":68400.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0797\/4227\/1763\/files\/4269_01_1200.jpg?v=1788917945","url":"https:\/\/www.jtopia.com\/products\/4269","provider":"JTOPIA global","version":"1.0","type":"link"}