Japanese Shonsui Style Porcelain and Pewter Sake Set
July 2014 Auction by Far East Asian Art

Housed in its original signed wooden storage box (“tomobako”), this unusual sake drinking set includes two Arita porcelain sake flasks (“tokkuri”) and three embossed pewter sake cups (“sakazuki” or “guinomi”). Early 20th century, pre-war. The two flasks are hand painted in shonsui style with diapered panels and bands in underglaze blue on a clear white ground (“sometsuke”). The panels alternate between a landscape scene, geometric patterns, and a calligraphic poem...