The sound of the tea whisk ceases, and a bowl of tea is placed before you by the host. The steam softly rising from the bowl, the faint aroma of matcha powdered green tea wafting through your nose. In the serene moment before taking a sip, there is always a tea bowl between the host and the guest.

Sen no Rikyu, who established the art of the tea ceremony, taught the principles of “Wa, Kei, Sei, Jaku” (Harmony, Respect, Purity, Tranquility). The host and guest connect their hearts, showing respect to everything, including the utensils and flower arrangements. They maintain a pure heart and a calmness that is unshaken by anything. There are various schools of tea ceremony, such as Omote-senke, Ura-senke, and Mushakoji-senke, collectively known as the “Three Sen Families.” The host prepares the utensils, arranges the flowers, and sets up the tearoom with this spirit. Among these, the tea bowl, used by the guest to enjoy the tea prepared by the host, can be said to hold the most significant place. This series will introduce the highlights of tea bowls, focusing on their history and craftsmanship. To begin with, I would like to touch upon the three representative types of tea bowls and their popularity.

Korai Korean tea bowls

The world of tea, where Chinese tea bowls were once most favored, experienced a turning point in the late 15th century with the appearance of Korean tea bowls. These bowls, known as “Korai chawan,” refer to bowl-shaped ceramics produced in the folk kilns of the Korean Peninsula, primarily during the Joseon Dynasty from the 14th century onward. Korean tea bowls were chosen for use in the tea ceremony in Japan because their distinguishing feature, unlike Chinese tea bowls which were specifically made for drinking tea, is that their beauty was seen to stem from their use as everyday tableware. The “Kizaemon Ido,” acclaimed as the finest tea bowl in the world, is a notable example of an unassuming bowl from an unknown folk kiln that tea masters found beautiful, thus elevating it to the status of a masterpiece.

With their generous and simple aesthetic, Korean tea bowls possess a natural beauty unique to everyday utensils. The incorporation of Zen principles and the popularity of Wabi-cha, practiced in austere and simple tea rooms, also boosted the appreciation of Korean tea bowls. As time progressed, tea bowls commissioned by tea masters began to appear. These bowls were also distinguished by various techniques and patterns, including Unkaku, Ido, Kohiki, Mishima, Goshomaru, Gohon, and others, each representing different styles and decorations.