Tuesday March 16, 2010 | 3 comments
I have been studying and collecting tea bowls (“chawan”) for about ten years. I am fascinated by the objects themselves and their place in Japanese ceramics, aesthetics, culture, and history.
It is only in the last few years that I felt I had sufficient knowledge and understanding to undertake making my own tea bowls. The Japanese tea bowls that most resonate with me are the Raku tea bowls – the first tea bowls specifically designed for the tea ceremony by the legendary tea master Sen no Rikyu in the late 16th century. Raku tea bowls have been made continually since then in Kyoto by members of the Raku family. Pictured is a contemporary black Raku tea bowl from my collection.
I have utilized the straight-sided, curved bottom, low-footed form that has become known as the “raku” tea bowl form, and make my tea bowls by hand rather than by throwing them on the wheel. More importantly, I have attempted to achieve their spirit of refined simplicity and quiet elegance.
I do not attempt to copy the Raku tea bowls. They are made from earthenware, mine from porcelain. They are glazed, hand built from a single piece of clay, fired in a very small charcoal-fueled kiln, and cooled very quickly. Mine are unglazed, coiled, and pinched, fired in my wood-fueled kiln, and cooled as slowly as possible. Pictured are two of my tea bowls.
The feet (“kodai”) of my tea bowls have evolved from the simple foot of a Raku tea bowl to a more pronounced notched foot that is part of the ceramic tradition of Hagi, a small ceramic town in western Japan that has been making wonderful teaware since the 16th century, such as the notched-foot tea bowls by Miwa Kyusetsu, a Hagi Living National Treasure.
The pictures of my tea bowls are a snapshot of my current vision and technique. I know my tea bowls will change as I pursue their essential spirit.
These are gorgeous Dan. They do appear to be glazed however, especially the last one. I’m surprised that one can drink matcha from an unglazed bowl. I would think it would take time to develop its own patina and be very absorbent initially. Obviously it works with Yixing pots. I love the simple shape and rustic feel. I imagine the porcelain makes it lighter than earthenware. I’m fascinated by the history of these beautiful bowls. I wish I could hold one in my hands.
Beautiful bowls. I am captivated by traditional tea bowls used in tea ceremony. Do you know or does anyone reading this know and would like to share info about the functionality of chawan. I am under the impression that they were originally functional as in, drinking tea from them, yet many articles I read on raku-ware says it is not to be used for food/drink. When making your own bowls, do you advise not to drink from them? I am making some bowls myself but can’t come to terms with telling people they cannot use them but can only look at them. I wonder if there is a technique to include functionality with the beauty of raku technique.
Michelle: My tea bowls are unglazed, inside and out. However they are porcelain and are fired to such a high temperature that they are fully vitrified and non-absorbent.
Aesha: All Japanese tea bowls are functional and can be used in the tea ceremony for whisked powdered green tea or any other liquids. My teabowls are fully functional.
You may have been reading about American Raku. in which the pieces are not fired at a high enough temperature to vitrify the clay and thus will not hold water.
Thank you both for the kind words.