Ko Imari Soba Choko

Pooteewheet, Eryn and I went in on a nicer than usual present for Kyle this year, a sake cup (Doing double time as a soup cup. Soba is a noodle soup. Choko is a type of sake cup. Given the size of the cup, it's either a generous helping of sake, or a minimal serving of soup.) and two bottles of sake, including one called "snowdrift" that has a sort of dubious substance resting on the bottom. Kyle has already opened the present, but I wanted to get some pictures and documentation from the web site out here so he has details when discussing the cup if he so pleases. I thought about getting him a cup from the 18th century, because a 250 year old cup just sounds cooler than a 160 year old cup, but once you get that far back a lot of things are two tone blue and white and not as pretty. I also liked the initials on the bottom of this one. They give it character.

Japanese Ko Imari Soba Choko, Cup 19c (pre-1837) purchased from Sanai Fine Arts and Antiques
The size of cup: 3 1/4" Dia x 2 1/2" High. Very nice Japanese Ko Imari Porcelain Soba Choko, Cup. The cup has nice shape body. Inside bottom with Sho Chiku Bai. The rim edge with diamond design done very nicely. There are three window of design with the lantern and tree. There is also three smaller windows. The Gold Karakusa with red background around. Nice sometsuke foot rim design. It is marked with Seika Nensei. The condition of cup Excellent, no chip, no crack and no hairline. No enamel loss. Dating from Edo Kouki, 1800-1830.

Panel:


Mini-panel:


Inside:


Bottom edge:


Bottom edge from mini-panel side:


Bottom of the cup: