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Japanese Glasses & Cups

Famous for tea ceremonies and sake, the Japanese value the use and design of cups and glasses as vessels that not only contain liquid, but also inform the experience of sake or tea consumption. In Japanese culture, the memory of an act is highly valued, so there is particular weight placed on the activation of all of a participant’s senses. The feel and look of a container has equal significance to the taste, look, and smell of the beverage.

For the purpose of serving sake, a set includes a flask and cups that are usually either made of ceramic or glass. Less often, sake cups can be made of lacquered wood or metal. Because sake is often served warm, sake flasks tend to have bulbous bottoms to allow for more to be heated at a time, and thin necks to prevent heat from escaping from the top. Non-traditional sake cups take the form of wide-mouthed shot glasses, however, sake cups in ceremony are cylindrical shaped or bowl shaped. Further contemporary developments in Japanese sake glasses include glass stemware to serve chilled sake as opposed to the traditional stem-less cylinder.

Japanese teacups are also often made of ceramic. Similar to sake cups, general use teacups tend to be small, while ceremonial tea cups are often larger and look more like bowls. In the creation of teacups, Japanese artists tend to create coarser forms rather than the smoother, more thin-walled delicate forms of their Chinese counterparts. This follows the Japanese preference for wabi-sabi, or acceptance and even admiration of imperfections, which lend themselves to a more memorable experience of drinking tea.


Quick Facts

  • Sake was originally sold in and consumed from wooden boxes known as "masu." This wood was said to enhance the taste of the sake. Over time, experts frowned upon this practice as they believed the wood instead tainted the purity and taste of the sake
  • The traditional sake cup is a symbol of prosperity. In order to bring good luck and wealth to a person, it is common practice to place a sake glass inside a masu box and fill the sake glass so full that the sake pours over and into the masu
  • Globally, cultures have used human skulls as mediums for their drinking vessels since as early as 14,700 A.D., and this includes the Japanese. The brutal Japanese shogun Oda Nobunaga famously crafted cups from the skulls of defeated opposition to serve as a warning to those who dared question his leadership

Recommended Items at Auction

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KOREAN KARATSU SAKE CUP
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Est: ¥50,000- ¥80,000
¥50,0000 Bids
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Japanese Porcelain Saki Cups
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Feb 19, 11:00 AM EST
Yoshiro Kimura, Blue Sake Cup (two works)
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Pair of antique Japanese (Chinese?) porcelain sake cups with a seal
Mar 09, 10:00 AM EST
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OGGETTISTICA
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OGGETTISTICA
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A Set of Five antique Japanese Porcelain Tea Cups.
Feb 19, 10:00 AM GMT
A Set of Five antique Japanese Porcelain Tea Cups.
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Feb 22, 11:00 AM CST
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lot Japans porseleinen kop- en schotels waaronder …
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lot Japans porseleinen kop- en schotels waaronder …
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Feb 27, 7:00 PM CET
4 Japans porseleinen kop en schotels met blauw/wit…
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groot lot Japans en Chinees porseleinen kop- en sc…
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lot Japans en Chinees porseleinen kop en schotels,…
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lot Japans en Chinees porseleinen kop en schotels,…
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RARE Vintage 1930's Japan Number 792 Porcelain Popeye Egg Cup
Mar 17, 5:00 PM EDT
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Est: $0- $0
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ANTIQUE JAPANESE MEIJI CLOISONNE ENAMEL SAKE SET
Mar 01, 10:00 AM EST
ANTIQUE JAPANESE MEIJI CLOISONNE ENAMEL SAKE SET
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2pc Yada China Japanese Cup and Saucer Rose Design Set
Feb 19, 2:00 PM EST
2pc Yada China Japanese Cup and Saucer Rose Design Set
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Japanese Blue and White Glazed Sake Cup
Mar 08, 12:00 PM GMT
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Est: £100- £140
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Feb 26, 9:30 AM GMT
A JAPANESE SAKE SET
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Feb 24, 6:00 PM AEDT
A Vintage Kato Kogei, Japan Sake Set
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Est: AUD40- AUD60
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Sellers Who Sell Japanese Glasses & Cups


Veilinghuis Van Spengen

Veilinghuis Van Spengen

Rago Arts and Auction Center

Rago Arts and Auction Center

Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers

Theodore Bruce Auctioneers & Valuers