Tatami-tsuki is the part of a vessel that touches the tatami, meaning the outer circumference of the foot. How a vessel sits, its stability, and the maker's work all show here.
What to look at
Cutting marks, wear, and the quality age lends can be read from the standing surface, revealing the history of use and the maker's habits. In old bowls, wear on the standing surface is prized as keshiki.
In practice
It is checked at the same time as the foot at the end of an examination. It is the one part of a bowl whose appearance is created entirely by use rather than by making.
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.
Term info
- Category
- Term
Related terms
- Chado (The Way of Tea)chado
The Japanese practice of preparing and serving powdered green tea, treated as a lifelong discipline rather than a beverage ritual.
- Wabiwabi
Finding sufficiency of mind within insufficiency and plainness; one of the root concepts of tea practice.
- Ichigo ichie (one time, one meeting)ichigo ichie
The principle that every gathering is unrepeatable, and should therefore be treated as if it will never occur again.
- Koshi (the waist)koshi
The lower part of the body drawing in toward the foot; what fixes the posture of a vessel.
- Kuchi-zukuri (the rim)kuchi-zukuri
The treatment, flare, and thickness of a vessel's rim; for a bowl it decides how the tea drinks.
- Kannyu (crazing)kannyu
Fine cracks in the glaze surface, technically a flaw but valued in tea as an appearance that develops with use.
- Yohen (kiln effects)yohen
Appearance produced by chance in the kiln — flame movement, temperature, falling ash — beyond the maker's control.