This is a soba choko from Aizu Hongo, which looks like either porcelain or earthenware. It has been repaired with kintsugi (golden joinery), and there are also some air bubbles that look like kiln marks, which you can see in the photos. Due to the snake-eye foot, it is believed to be from the late Edo period, after the 18th century. Please refrain from purchasing if you are seeking perfection or are overly concerned about minor imperfections, as this is an old item with kintsugi repairs. We appreciate your understanding of old items. History of Aizu Hongo ware: In 1777, ceramic artist Heikichi Kondo was invited from Edo to provide technical guidance on porcelain production in Aizu. Furthermore, in 1797, Ihei Sato went on a journey to Hizen Arita to learn the techniques of porcelain firing. This suggests the domain's high expectations for porcelain production at the time. Ihei became a servant of the Bodaiji Temple of the Nabeshima clan, gaining the trust of those around him, and learned in detail the methods of mixing ceramic stone, glaze, and paints while visiting the kilns in Arita. He returned to Japan and succeeded in firing porcelain in 1800. Ihei is enshrined in the Toso-byo Temple of Joshotemple along with Genzaemon Mizuno, the founder of Aizu Hongo ware porcelain (from Kiyoshi Nihei's "Aizu Cultural History"). The advent of porcelain was a groundbreaking event, and although the earthenware that had been produced previously was protected by the domain, it was not yet considered a domain industry. However, with the success of porcelain, it became an important national industry as a domain kiln industry. A Seto-kata Yakuba (Seto Affairs Office) was established under the town magistrate, and Ihei was appointed as the Seto-kata Muneyaku (Seto Affairs Officer). As the system was developed and expanded, the technology also improved, and in the Bunsei era, Koemon Tedateki succeeded in seme-daki (reduction flame firing), finally obtaining white porcelain firing. Also, Heihachi Kato, a ceramic artist from Aizu, developed the technique of sometsuke mitsuga (underglaze blue with detailed painting) in the Bunkyu era, and painter Io Saito taught the painting methods of landscapes and flowers, and Mokichi, a painter from Kyoto, taught the method of nishikide (overglaze enamel) firing, completing Aizu porcelain. Size: Height approx. 6.2cm, Diameter approx. 7.1cm If you purchase immediately, it will be assumed that you have agreed to the purchase, so please be sure to look at the photos carefully before purchasing to avoid any issues such as "it's different from what I expected." #EdoPeriod #LateEdoPeriod #Porcelain #TohokuPottery #Antique #Choko #SobaChoko #Edo #Kintsugi #SemiPorcelain #Earthenware #Porcelain #BeroAi (Prussian Blue) #Soba #SobaRestaurant #AizuHongo #Sanyou #Fukura #Naganuma #Seishido