Posted 4 years ago
kwqd
(1122 items)
These yunomi are 3.5" high x 2.75" diameter and 3.25" high x 2.5" diameter and very thin and delicate. They came in the original box, which is pretty nice. These are supposedly "new old stock" but I am not sure how old, old is. One cup was slightly dirty and the box shows interior signs of use so guessing someone took these for a test drive. The seller thought the design was kiku leaves. These are my first pieces of Arita ware and are another meoto yunomi set for my collection, one larger for the husband and one smaller for the wife. My reading says they must be different sizes to be meoto yunomi, but not sure if that is a hard and fast rule.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arita_ware
"Arita ware (Japanese: ???, Hepburn: Arita-yaki) is a broad term for Japanese porcelain made in the area around the town of Arita, in the former Hizen Province, northwestern Ky?sh? island. It is also known as Hizen ware (???, Hizen-yaki) after the wider area of the province. This was the area where the great majority of early Japanese porcelain, especially Japanese export porcelain, was made.
In English usage "Arita ware" was traditionally used for the export wares in blue and white porcelain, mostly copying Chinese styles. The wares with added overglaze colours were called Imari ware or (a sub-group) Kakiemon. It is now recognized that the same kilns often made more than one of these types, and "Arita ware" is more often used as a term for all of them. The brightly coloured Kutani ware is another type that is now recognised as coming from around Arita as well as the Kutani itself, and "Kutani-type" is used as a stylistic description."
Thanks fortapache and RichmondLori!
Beautiful blue floral cup set, what a lovely idea to make a husband & wife pair they're charming
Thanks for your comment Jenni! I haven't found anything on the origins of the meoto yunomi concept, but need to put in some more time on that!
Thanks for your comments renedijkstra!
Thanks for taking a look at my Arita cups renedijkstra, Hoot60 and Jenni!
Thanks Vynil33rpm!
Thank you Lisa and Kevin!
Thanks for taking a look at my meoto yunomi set Thomas and aura!
Meoto yunomi are an easy, cheap thing to collect I have found, Eileen! I have a pile of them I have yet to post.....
Thank you, vcal!
Thanks ho2cultcha!
Hello kwqd! These very pretty meoto yunomi depict grape leaves. Their shape is very distinctive. I believe the dots next to the leaves are intended to be actual grapes, incidentally. And the katakana lettering in the last photo reads: "Fine cup / Grapes".
Incidentally, one site on Japanese design elements claims that grapes symbolize "fertility and prosperity for progeny", so I can see why this theme might be considered appropriate in a gift for a couple (https://polinacouture.com/en/the-meaning-of-flowers-on-japanese-fabrics/#vine-and-squirrel-budo-and-risu).
I think you're right; every meoto-yunomi set I've ever seen involves one larger and one smaller cup. Maybe there are exceptions, but I doubt it; the concept of "man bigger, woman smaller" seems to be hard-wired into the very concept of gifts for couples. I've also seen meoto-bashi, two pairs of chopsticks for couples, and the smaller pair is always intended for the woman.
Thanks for the information, rhineisfine! An appropriate theme, indeed! Did you see my Saegusa Sotaro bronze sculpture post?