Copper Guinomi with Nishikigoi-like pattern ‘Hyakunen Monogatari’

This Guinomi sake cup is made entirely by hand from copper foil: the copper is melted down into a sheet and hammered with a wooden hammer on an anvil, first creating the shape that feels good in the hand, then the surface hammering with a mirror hammer. The edges are then carefully rounded and polished to improve the mouth feel. The scarlet colour is achieved by heating the copper to a high temperature, while the blue and brown parts are coloured using a traditional technique, giving the whole piece a pattern similar to that of Nishikigoi carp. As each piece is made by different craftsmen, the hammering is unique and no two pieces are identical. The inside is tinned.

Good to know: pewter has been used for over 500 years to purify and preserve water. In recent years, pewter sake vessels have come to the attention of sake houses, brewmasters and brewers for their ability to soften the taste of sake, so they are increasingly found in traditional luxury ryotei.

What is ‘Hyakunen Monogatari’?

‘Hyakunen Monogatari’ is a global brand, the result of a collaboration between workshops in Niigata Prefecture and NICO (Niigata Industrial Creation Organization).

Since the project began in 2003, the brand has launched several cutting-edge collections, and efforts to develop and promote products that combine the prefecture’s resources have been recognised both in Japan and abroad as the first of their kind in the region, winning such awards as the Good Design Award and the Asia Design Award.

The concept of the ‘Hyakunen Monogatari’ brand is based on ‘objects for creating, appreciating and transmitting a way of life and culture that we will cherish for another 100 years’.

Thus, the project pursues promotional activities in parallel with the production of innovative products, based on ‘development themes’ linked to long-term trends in the global market and focused on communicating the strengths of the Niigata region: its technological power and the attractions of its climate and topology.

About Seigado

Located in the Yahiko village, Niigata Prefecture, Seigado continues to innovate and refine the traditional forging and hammering techniques that are its heritage. Currently with 3 main craftsmen, the company focuses particularly on the hammering technique, which creates complex shapes from copper plates and other metals.

The production process is time consuming, and sometimes a single product requires more than 20 different mallets for hammering and over 40 different types of metal. It is at this price that complex shapes can be created. It takes more than 10 years of experience to create the desired shapes, but the result is delicate and bold objects that cannot be reproduced by machines.