look what I just found in my basement!

Interesting, looks like a sake’ set to me.

Me too, but the box says “tea set” and it’s actually super tiny. I just realized the perspective isn’t very good in that photo.

Is that the original box?

Hmm. I don’t know. The set fits perfectly into the box, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the original box. Plus it might just be mislabeled.

Google says sake sets can be really small too, so this probably is one. Since I don’t drink sake, these cups are getting repurposed as teaware anyway.

Thanks for pointing that out!

I have a ceramic vintage sake set that I am trying to figure out a way to use for tea ;)

Cute! Doesn’t matter what it was intended for, only that it is used and loved. :) Time for some gongfu!

EDIT: I won a sake set in a Christmas draw once. I use the tiny cups for dip for carrots and veg. I think I put the carafe type item in the freecycle at work though.

How big is the pitcher’s volume in comparison to the cups?

If it’s good enough for multiple refills, the pitcher could be used as a water pitcher that you refill your kettle from. Doesn’t seem like it is big enough from the pic though. :(

Not super useful, but it does look nice! Certainly a lot more classy than the boxes and bottles I use that the water I buy comes in.
I think I’m going to look into sake sets now…

Thanks for providing the spark that started that fire in my mind! :P

Love the cups!

Most Japanese tea sets come with a cooling pitcher because the tea used is going to be a sencha or gyokuro or matcha which needs very cool water. So boiling water is put into the cold pitcher to cool it before brewing. The sake bottle could be used for this purpose. My own sake bottle needs another purpose really because I had found a stainless steel vintage Japanese cooling pitcher years ago that I use now. In fact I didn’t know what it was for until I started brewing sencha.

Those cups are so cute! And if nothing else, maybe you could use the carafe as a vase for small flowers? :)