Barbar Chōjū-giga Soba Choko Cup – Hasami Porcelain

The soba choko is a classic vessel in Japanese tableware, traditionally used for serving dipping sauce with soba noodles. Today it is widely used as a versatile cup for tea, desserts, or small dishes.

This design features scenes from Chōjū-giga, a famous series of medieval Japanese picture scrolls often described as the earliest form of manga. Rabbits, frogs, and other animals appear in playful scenes full of movement and humour.

The decoration is applied using copperplate transfer printing, a technique widely used in Hasami ware from the Meiji to Taishō period. The design is first printed onto Japanese paper with ceramic pigment and then transferred onto the porcelain surface before firing.

Part of Barbar's Soba Choko Encyclopaedia series, which explores the many decorative possibilities of the soba choko—an object that has been used in Japanese homes for over 400 years.

At Karintō we offer two patterns: Sumo and Oikakekko (chasing game).