A beautiful Hagi-yaki 萩焼 meoto yunomi set (夫婦湯呑), comprising two matching tea cups in different sizes and presented with their original wooden box.
The pair is finished in the soft, understated glaze for which Hagi ware is especially admired. Pale grey, cream and muted pink tones blend gently across the surface, with warm blush-like areas created by the firing.
The exposed pale clay at the foot creates a beautiful contrast with the glazed body, and the bases feature a small notch in the foot ring, the characteristic wari-kōdai (割高台) often associated with Hagi tea wares.
A 夫婦湯呑 (meoto yunomi) is a traditional paired tea-cup set, usually made with one larger and one smaller cup. The name literally means “married-couple tea cups”, and such sets have long been popular in Japan as gifts for weddings, anniversaries and couples, symbolizing companionship and harmony.
Hagi-yaki (萩焼) originates from Hagi in Yamaguchi Prefecture and has been closely connected with Japanese tea culture for centuries. Its soft glazes, porous clay and restrained decoration reflect the aesthetics of wabi-sabi (侘寂)—finding beauty in simplicity, irregularity and gradual change.
Hagi ware is also famous for “Hagi no nanabake” (萩の七化け), or the “seven transformations of Hagi.” With continued use, tea can gradually enter the fine crazing and pores of the glaze, subtly deepening and changing the vessel’s appearance over time. Rather than being considered a flaw, this ageing process has traditionally been appreciated as part of the relationship between the vessel and its owner.
Size: 8 x 8 x 9cm (L)
7 x 7 x 8cm (S)
