If you saw an eBay listing with this item and a few other unattractive pieces of random wares on a cardboard box in a blurry image, how much would you pay for it?  What if it’s listed under “kitchenware”?  Keep in mind I already rinsed this thing — it was much dirtier when I got it.

What if I told you this is a Japanese vintage pure silver kyusu?

Of course I was taking a gamble when I bought this lot of what looked like random junk.  The nasty cup and ugly little salt container (or whatever that is) really didn’t inspire the shopper in me, but the pot looked interesting, even though it was on top of a dirty cardboard box and the lighting was dim.  I could tell that it was metal, and the handle might be bone or ivory.  The dark sheen on the pot made me think it might have been a silver-plated pot, rather than a real silver one.  I figured for the price I paid (shipping cost more) I could afford the gamble, and it paid off.  This pot definitely falls into category 3 of my musings on buying from places like eBay.

You can see the maker’s mark and the silver mark on the right side of the spout.

There is, unfortunately, a catch – the angle at which the pictures were taken means that I couldn’t see that there’s some damage to the pot, namely along the handle.  Looks like another job, perhaps, for Herman Silver.

All in all though, I’m pretty happy.