A chaire is a small ceramic jar holding matcha for thick tea (koicha). It ranks above every other utensil at a full gathering. Though it fits in the palm, celebrated examples from the Momoyama period were said to be worth a province, and warlords traded them at real personal risk. Unlike other containers it travels wrapped in a silk pouch (shifuku), inside nested boxes, accompanied by documents of transmission.
History
The type began with Chinese medicine jars and small vessels brought to Japan and repurposed for powdered tea. Song and Yuan examples, collectively karamono, passed through the hands of Juko, Joo, and Rikyu, and by the Momoyama period a formal ranking of great and revived masterpieces was in place. Domestic production followed at the Seto kilns, systematised by potters such as Toshiro Shunkei, and in the Edo period Kobori Enshu's selections raised the standing of domestic wares sharply.
Types
By material: karamono (Chinese), shimamono (Southeast Asian), Seto (the mainstream domestic type), and other Japanese kilns including Bizen, Tamba, Takatori, and Agano. By shape: katatsuki (shouldered), nasu (aubergine), bunrin, marutsubo, tsurukubi (crane's neck), taikai (wide-mouthed), and hyotan (gourd). A complete set includes the silk pouch, an ivory lid, inner and outer boxes, and documentation.
In practice
The chaire is carried in wrapped, and the removal of the pouch is itself one of the things guests watch for. The thin ivory lid demands care, and the cleaning gestures are more deliberate than for a natsume. Afterwards the pouch, jar, and lid are offered for examination in turn, and guests look closely at the form, the glaze, the throwing marks, and even the underside of the lid.
Sources
- 茶入（精選版 日本国語大辞典） / コトバンク
Supports: 濃茶用は陶器が多く肩衝・茄子・大海などの形があり、薄茶用は漆器・木地物で棗・中次などと呼ばれること
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
Tea ceremony descriptions can vary by school and source. Where interpretations differ, this glossary avoids definitive claims and focuses on broadly shared understandings. If you notice an error, please let us know viaContact. To learn about our organization, seeAbout Chaen.
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Related terms
- Katatsuki chaire (shouldered thick-tea jar)katatsuki chaire
A thick-tea jar whose shoulder projects horizontally below the mouth; among the most highly ranked forms.
- Nasu chaire (aubergine-shaped jar)nasu chaire
A rounded thick-tea jar swelling like an aubergine; softer in feeling than the shouldered form.
- Koicha (thick tea)koicha
Matcha kneaded with a little water into a thick paste, traditionally shared from a single bowl; the centre of a full gathering.