This is a set of 5 Ohori Soma-yaki teacups. These are from the Meiji era and are known as "Nakoso-de." There are no noticeable major scratches, but there is some fading of the gold coloring due to age. There are also some firing-related imperfections such as bursts and air bubbles, but these are kiln marks and not later damage. Please examine the images carefully before considering a purchase. While there are no noticeable scratches, please refrain from purchasing if you are looking for perfection or are overly concerned about minor details due to the reasons mentioned above. We appreciate your understanding of these items being stored at home. "Nakoso-de" of Ohori Soma-yaki is named after the use of pottery stone (clay) from Nakoso, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, as a raw material. In this production, pottery stone and clay produced in the Nakoso area of Iwaki City were used as raw materials for the glaze. Products using raw materials from this specific production area came to be called "Nakoso-yaki" or "Nakoso-de." Also, from the Fukushima Library - Soma Pottery ↓ [Nakoso Boom] Around the sixth year of Meiji (1873), when the kiln sites were struggling due to the loss of the domain's support in the Meiji Restoration, Masuta Matsumizu of Ide Village devised a teapot made of Same-yaki (shark-skin ware). This ware has a glaze that shrinks, covering the surface with small granules like shark skin. It is said that it was named "Nakoso-yaki" because the raw material was taken from Nakoso Village (Iwaki City). After that, they found the same quality of raw material in the area called Zato Korogashi in Hatori, Nagatsuka Village (Futaba Town), and began full-scale mass production. This Same-yaki teapot, or "Nakoso Dobin," along with the Aohibi-yaki Ingen Dobin, suited the tastes of Americans and was exported in large quantities from around the 14th and 15th years of Meiji to around the 20th year. At that time, the kilns in Ohori and Ide were as busy as battlefields, and they couldn't keep up with production no matter how much they made, and it became a story of how prosperous it was. However, the boom ended as a fleeting dream because they produced carelessly in the boom. From [Fukushima Library - Soma Pottery] Size → Height: Approximately 5cm, Width: Approximately 8cm If you purchase immediately, we will assume that you have agreed to the purchase. Please look at the photos carefully before purchasing to avoid any misunderstandings such as "it's different from what I expected." #Soma #Ko-Soma (Old Soma) #Teacups #Gold #Horse #Fukushima #Meiji #Koma-yaki #Ohori Soma-yaki #America #Antique #Antique #Tohoku #Japan