This is an attractive vintage set of five small Japanese sake cups (ochoko) and a matching sake flask (tokkuri), probably made in the 1950s or 1960s. This is an unusual and desirable "whistling bird" (uguisu) sake set. Both the flask and cups are meant to whistle or chirp.

The tokkuri is shaped as a five-sided column. At the top is a thimble-shaped pouring spout and a small applied gilt bird. It is meant to whistle when poured. The cups come with a small hole on the rim which extends downwards to an exit in the centre of the base. When the drinker blows down this little spout, it produces a light whistling sound like a bird.

They are nicely decorated in a mid-20th century Kutani style, based on a traditional aka-e kinrande (gilt on a Kutani red ground) palette which was first made popular by the famous 19th century ceramics potter and decorator Eiraku (永楽). On the base of each there is a printed red maker’s mark - 九谷仙龍 (Kutani Senryu). This is the mark of Nagata Ryusen (長田 龍仙). I believe that they date to the 1950s or 1960s.

I believe that the gilt decoration is applied by hand over line-work stencils. The body of the cups is made of good quality white porcelain.  The tokkuri is about 15.3 cm in height. The five matching small sake cups are each about 5.2 cm in diameter and 3.3 cm in height. This classic vintage set appears to be unused. Each piece is in excellent original condition, including the gilding. There are no chips, cracks or restoration.

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