This is a vase with the mark of Soma Komayaki, Tashiro Hokkyo. It features a horse design, making it a good luck item for the Year of the Horse. There are no noticeable scratches, but please understand that this item has been stored at home. Please refrain from purchasing if you are looking for perfection or are overly concerned about condition. About Soma Komayaki: Soma Komayaki is pottery fired at the Tashiro kiln in Nakamura, Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, and was the official kiln of the Soma clan. It mainly produced tea ceramics, which were used for gifts to the shogunate, feudal lords, and for the lord of the domain. According to the Tashiro family tradition, in 1623, Soma Toshitane, the lord of the Soma clan, accompanied the shogun to Kyoto and was impressed by Omuro-yaki. He had Tashiro Gengouemon, who accompanied him, train under Nonomura Ninsei. Gengouemon trained for seven years, received a character from Ninsei, changed his name to Seijiemon, and returned home. It is said that he opened the kiln in the area in 1629. Regarding the mark, in 1867, the 11th generation received the rank of "Daini Hokkyo" from the Imperial Court, and has since used the mark "Tashiro Hokkyo." However, the Tashiro kiln is currently closed due to the earthquake, the absence of the head of the family, and a lack of successors. The kiln is a prefectural tangible folk cultural property and is protected, but the revival of the tradition of Soma Komayaki, a "family-transmitted" clan kiln, is proving difficult. Therefore, it is a very valuable item. Size: Height approx. 17cm, Mouth width approx. 4cm If you purchase immediately, it will be considered that you have agreed to the purchase. Please carefully review the photos before considering and purchasing to avoid any misunderstandings such as "it's different from what I expected" after purchase. #Somayaki #TashiroHokkyo #RareItem #PotteryOfTohoku #OfficialKiln #Horse #Tokkuri (sake bottle) #Vase #FlowerVase #MadeInJapan #YearOfTheHorse #Folk #TraditionalCrafts #AizuClan #Equestrian #Antique #FolkCrafts #YanagiSōetsu #ChineseZodiac