The chawan is the bowl in which matcha is prepared and from which it is drunk. It receives more attention than any other utensil: guests are expected to look at it closely after drinking, turning it in the hands to examine the glaze, the foot, and the interior.
Seasonal forms
Shape follows season. Deep, narrow bowls (*tsutsu-chawan*) retain heat and are used in winter. Wide, shallow bowls (*hira-chawan*) let tea cool quickly and are used in high summer. Between these lies a range of intermediate forms, and choosing appropriately for the day is part of a host's judgement.
Types and origins
Bowls are grouped by origin. *Karamono* are Chinese imports, prized in the earlier shoin style. *Komogai*, *Ido*, and other Korean types entered Japanese practice in the sixteenth century and were valued for their unforced irregularity. Domestic wares include Raku, made by hand without a wheel and closely tied to Rikyu; Hagi, whose glaze crazes and stains with use; and Karatsu, Shino, and Oribe from the kilns of Kyushu and Mino.
What to look at
Practitioners attend to specific features: the *keshiki* (incidental markings in the glaze), the *mikomi* (interior, where the tea sat), the *kodai* (foot ring, often left unglazed to show the clay body), and the *kuchi-zukuri* (the lip, which determines how the bowl drinks). A bowl that changes with use — Hagi in particular absorbs tea and shifts colour over years — is valued for that change rather than in spite of it.
Sources
- chawan 茶碗 / JAANUS（コロンビア大学）
Supports: 中国渡来の茶碗が「唐物」、朝鮮渡来が「高麗茶碗」と呼ばれること。国焼の代表である楽焼が千利休によって始められたとされること。夏は浅く広い平茶碗、冬は保温性の高い筒形の茶碗が好まれるという季節による使い分け（原文は利休の生没年を1502-91とするが、他の複数辞典は1522-1591とし、こちらが定説のため生没年はここでは引用しない）
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
- Matchamatcha
Shade-grown green tea leaf stone-ground to a fine powder, whisked into water rather than steeped.
- Raku chawan (Raku tea bowl)raku chawan
Hand-formed, low-fired bowls made by the Raku family of Kyoto; the emblem of the tea Rikyu aimed at.
- Hira-chawan (flat summer bowl)hira-chawan
A shallow, wide-mouthed bowl used for thin tea in summer, letting the tea cool and suggesting coolness.
- Tsutsu-chawan (cylindrical winter bowl)tsutsu-chawan
A deep cylindrical bowl used in winter, which holds heat and carries warmth to the hands.