Vintage Japanese Ceramic Hashioki Chopstick Rest Hand Painted Showa Era ~3"L

Vintage Japanese ceramic hashioki (箸置き) chopstick rest, hand-formed and hand-painted, late Shōwa period

Japan; late Shōwa period, c. 1970s–1980s

A single vintage Japanese ceramic hashioki (箸置き, chopstick rest) in figural form. Hand-formed or from mold and individually painted — no two are identical. Glaze, form, color, and subject vary by piece; please refer to the photos for color, and details of this listing. Dimensions approximately 2"–4" in length. A charming and functional piece of Japanese table culture, well suited to display or everyday use.

Hashioki are a distinctly Japanese table accessory, used to rest chopsticks between bites and keep the table surface clean. The late Shōwa period saw an enormous variety of figural and novelty forms produced for both domestic use and the tourist trade — fish, birds, animals, seasonal motifs, and abstract forms among the most common. Hand-formed examples in this scale retain the slight irregularities and glaze variations that distinguish them from later machine-made production.

• Ware: Japanese ceramic, hand-formed
• Function: Hashioki (箸置き) — chopstick rest
• Period: Late Shōwa, c. 1970s–1980s
• Dimensions: Approximately 2"–4" L (5–10 cm); see photos for specifics
• Condition: Please see photos for details.