A hira-chawan is low in relation to its width, opening out flat. It is the standard summer form for thin tea. Having little depth, the tea cools quickly and the rim does not become uncomfortably hot in the warm months — a practical advantage as well as a visual one.
It pairs with the winter tsutsu-chawan as the other half of a seasonal pair, and its wide, fully exposed interior is its defining feature.
History
The form descends from shallow open bowls and dishes, and settled into tea practice as the summer bowl. It has been made at Kyoto, Raku, Karatsu, and Hagi kilns among many others, so regional differences in clay and painting are part of its interest.
In practice
Used for thin tea from roughly May through the brazier season. Because the interior is fully visible, the tea is whisked with particular attention to the evenness of the foam — there is nowhere for an untidy surface to hide.
Sources
- 平茶碗（デジタル大辞泉 / 精選版 日本国語大辞典） / コトバンク
Supports: 平茶碗が「抹茶茶碗の一。口が広く浅い形のもの。主として夏季に用いる」ものであること
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
- Chawan (tea bowl)chawan
The bowl in which tea is whisked and drunk — usually the most closely examined object in a gathering.
- 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.
- Tsutsu-chawan (cylindrical winter bowl)tsutsu-chawan
A deep cylindrical bowl used in winter, which holds heat and carries warmth to the hands.
- Natsu no dogudate (summer arrangements)natsu no dogudate
Arrangements from the rainy season through high summer — flat bowls, blue-and-white, glass, basketry — built to suggest coolness.