Handbuilt Japanese Tea Bowls

The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called chanoyu (茶の湯) or chadō (茶道). The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called temae (点前).

Tea bowls (茶碗) used for the ceremony are available in a wide range of sizes and styles, and different styles are used for thick and thin tea. Shallow bowls, which allow the tea to cool rapidly, are used in summer; deep bowls are used in winter. Bowls are frequently named by their creators or owners, or by a tea master. Bowls over four hundred years old are in use today, but only on unusually special occasions. The best bowls are thrown by hand, and some bowls are extremely valuable. Irregularities and imperfections are prized: they are often featured prominently as the "front" of the bowl.

Here is a selection of the tea bowls that Ceramics Club members created before winter break. I couldn't photograph a lot of them, since students wanted to take them home as Christmas gifts!