Caiam Sardine Tin Stoneware Chopstick Rests Set of 5 - Multi

This is a set of five handpainted stoneware pieces: a little holder made in the shape of a sardine tin, and four fish that work as chopstick rests. The tin has its lid rolled back on a key, with SAR painted on what is left of the lid and SARDINES lettered on a label along the side, and the fish tuck inside it between meals. Each fish carries its own pattern of painted dashes in a different colour, so the set reads multicoloured once it is out on the table. The set measures 9cm long, 8cm wide and 6cm tall, and weighs 0.27KG.

Lay a fish beside each place setting and the tips of a pair of chopsticks rest on its back instead of the tablecloth, which keeps things tidier on sushi, noodle or dumpling nights. A knife and fork sit on a fish just as happily between courses. With four rests, it lays a table for four, and the tin keeps them together in a kitchen drawer or on an open shelf so none go astray. We think it makes a cheerful gift for anyone who cooks Japanese or Korean food at home, or for someone who likes a little seaside humour in the kitchen or dining room.

Every piece is stoneware, a dense clay fired hard enough to feel solid in the hand, and every one is painted by hand, so the brushwork varies slightly from fish to fish. The maker approves the stoneware for contact with food, and all five pieces go in the dishwasher, which matters for something that sits by your plate through a meal. Keep them out of the microwave and the oven. Between meals, leave the tin on an open shelf with the fish peeking out of the top, and it earns its place on the shelf as much as on the table.

What do I get in the set?

You receive five handpainted stoneware pieces: a holder shaped like a sardine tin and four fish-shaped chopstick rests, each fish with its own painted pattern.

Can the chopstick rests go in the dishwasher?

Yes, all five pieces go in the dishwasher. They are not for the microwave or the oven, so keep them out of both.

What are the chopstick rests made of?

Every piece is stoneware and painted by hand, so small differences in the brushwork from one fish to the next are part of the character.

How big is it?

The set measures 9cm long, 8cm wide and 6cm tall and weighs 0.27KG, small enough to sit in a drawer or on a narrow shelf.

Can I keep the fish inside the tin?

Yes. The fish rests tuck down inside the open end of the tin between meals, so the pieces stay together in a drawer or on a shelf.

Will the rests hold a knife and fork as well as chopsticks?

Yes. A fish works as a rest for a knife and fork as well as chopsticks, keeping the tips off the tablecloth between courses.