Karatsu bowls come from the area around Karatsu in Saga Prefecture. Their appeal is a plainness that deepens with use, and they serve equally in daily lessons and at gatherings, making them among the most familiar bowls a practitioner owns.
History
Karatsu ware was started in the Momoyama period by potters who came from Korea and developed rapidly as the representative ceramics of Kyushu in that period. Lines include e-Karatsu (painted), madara-Karatsu (mottled), Chosen-Karatsu (Korean-style), and Oku-Korai, each with its own character. Karatsu appears in the ordering ichi Ido, ni Raku, san Karatsu as well as in ichi Raku, ni Hagi, san Karatsu, an indication of how central the kiln is.
Types
The strength of the clay, the natural flow of the glaze, plain iron painting, and divided glazing are the points of interest, along with the movement of the throwing marks and the construction of the foot.
In practice
Karatsu is the practical answer for a first bowl: durable enough for weekly lessons, plain enough to suit almost any theme, and not so precious that handling it is anxious.
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
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The bowl in which tea is whisked and drunk — usually the most closely examined object in a gathering.
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