Coasters are widely used in Japan.
Most cups used to hold hot beverages such as tea or sake, don't have handles.
Therefore, a gracious host will use a coaster to serve a hot beverage to a guest,
giving him something to hold onto which is not too hot.
| Typical Coaster Set
The typical coaster set is contained in a covered cylindrical box.
The height of the box ranges from 1¾ to 3 inches.
The diameter ranges from 3½ to 4¼ inches.
The side of both the box and lid is usually embellished with lathe chatter.
The lid has an outer lip which fits over an inner lip on the top of the box. The top has a carved design which is framed within a thin border of lathe chatter. A stack of from 6 to 12 coasters fills up the inside of the box,
leaving barely enough room to put on the lid.
A carved design complementing the design on the lid, but less detailed, is found
on the top surface of each coaster.
| Other Designs
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