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Who would have thought that the simple act of pouring soy sauce could create an artistic image?

This may look like an ordinary soy sauce cruet and saucer, albeit in a very elegant design, but this product from Japanese tableware maker Miyama actually has a very interesting feature. Yes, the shape of the cruet, modeled after a lotus flower, is quite lovely, but the secret is in the saucer.

▼ The item, called the “Haas” cruet, apparently got its name from the word for lotus, which is hasu in Japanese.

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▼ Here’s the saucer that gives the product its unique feature.

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▼ When you pour soy sauce into it ….

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▼ … you get a beautiful gradation pattern of soy sauce created by the ridges in the saucer!

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The pattern is both pretty and practical! When liquid is poured into the saucer, the volume measures approximately 5 milliliters or about a teaspoon if it comes up to the first ridge, 15 milliliters or a tablespoon at the second ridge and 30 milliliters or two tablespoons at the third ridge, so you can actually use it as a simple measuring tool while cooking. The ridges also make it easier to place small portions of condiments, like wasabi or leeks, on the saucer to be mixed with the soy sauce.

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▼ The cruet and saucer are available in white porcelain and green celadon.

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Additionally, the item is not just designed for visual impact — it’s also a carefully made piece of porcelain produced by a company specializing in tableware. So, we have a feeling the porcelain and the work that went into the design of the cruet will be of a pretty high quality.

The cruet and saucer look like a fixed set, but they can be purchased separately on sites like Amazon Japan. The cruet is advertised at 1,350 yen (approx. US$12) for the white porcelain and 1,450 yen for the green celadon, while the saucer can be purchased for 500 yen in the white porcelain and 550 yen in the green celadon on Miyama’s blog site.

You may not be able to get the fragile items shipped internationally, but if you have the chance to purchase them in Japan, they’re certain to add plenty of fun and elegance to your dining table!

Source: Miyama Planning website via Japaaan Magazine
Images: Amazon Japan