| Name | Chawan 茶碗 ("tea bowl") |
|---|---|
| Major kilns | Raku, Hagi, Karatsu, Shino, Tenmoku and more |
| By season | Summer: shallow, open hira-jawan / Winter: deep tsutsu-jawan that keeps tea warm |
The story of the chawan begins with Chinese tenmoku bowls, imported along with tea itself. In the Muromachi period these karamono (Chinese pieces) held the highest rank, but as wabi tea took shape, taste shifted toward Korean bowls and finally to Japanese wares.
In the Momoyama era, the potter Chōjirō answered Sen no Rikyū's wabi aesthetic with the Raku bowl — shaped entirely by hand, without a wheel. The saying "first Raku, second Hagi, third Karatsu" ranks the beloved Japanese tea kilns, and bowls from all of them are still cherished in tea people's hands today.
Handle with both hands, kept low over the tatami. Find the shōmen — the bowl's "face".
Turn the bowl to avoid drinking from its face; empty it in about two and a half sips.
Rinse with warm water only — never detergent. Dry fully before boxing.
Check the rim for small chips (hotsu) and glaze cracks (nyū). Some are prized as landscape — confirm the condition notes.
Gold-lacquer repair (kintsugi) doesn't necessarily lower value, but usability in the tea room depends on its quality.
A tomobako (box signed by the maker) or an inscription by a tea master changes the valuation greatly.
The carving of the foot and the exposed clay are key clues to kiln and authenticity.
Once the shop is connected, pre-loved tea bowls available now will appear right here.