As I’ve been practicing the Japanese tea ceremony from early on in my life, I’ve had the chance to get to know a lot about the equipment that’s involved, including the Chawan, or Matcha tea bowl. When at my tea ceremony teacher’s house, she not only told me a great deal about its history, opening my eyes, and also recommending which bowls I might buy. I learned to treasure their extraordinary qualities, the artistry and craft involved, their role in Japanese history and society, and their importance as works of art. Over the years, the Chawan has been a massive part of my life.
One of the most exciting things about setting up the shop in Notting Hill has been to celebrate the connection between Japanese tea and Japanese ceramics, particularly the Chawan, because of its central role in the tea ceremony. On my regular trips to Japan I have loved visiting the potters we work with, learning from them more and more about what is encompassed by each Chawan – its importance and beauty and value.
The selection of Chawan we display in the gallery includes works by a whole range of ceramic artists, some of them considerable masters. Sometimes we are asked about the prices of these pieces, what is it that makes a Chawan more expensive than another kind of bowl, for instance? The Chawan themselves are not mere drinking vessels, but extraordinary in many ways - as exceptional works of art, as ritual and cultural objects, and as the pinnacle of the potter’s art.
When studying Chawan closely you can find how they hold extraordinary messages and communications. Often this is in ways in which they relate to the tea ceremony. We have one tea bowl here by Koji Inoue with a surface that simulates bamboo, a material used by other tea ceremony equipment. Sometimes the Chawan speak of inner and outer worlds, with their inner and outer spaces, suggesting ideas of the universe or of our own human inner and outer circumstances. The Chawan can be vessels for amazing and beautiful ideas, just like great works of art. That is one of the reasons why they can be at different price levels.
Chawan also play an important part in the tea ceremony, which is not only a daily routine but a meditative and spiritual practice originally developed as a Zen ritual. The Matcha tea bowl fits perfectly in my hands, giving me deep inner comfort, as well as a pleasant sense of exhilaration. There is an extraordinary sense of satisfaction when using a Chawan, holding it and drinking from it. It has a real power in the tea room.
For many Japanese potters, the Chawan is the key focus of their work, the most special thing they can produce. The well-known artist Shiro Tsujimura famously said in 2020, at over the age of 70, that he had only ever made tea bowls throughout his career, and wanted to dedicate the rest of his life to trying to create the perfect Chawan.
I do like that sometimes we can chase perfection, to carry on seeking the ideal Chawan, as well as also celebrating imperfection and faults, and the way of Kintsugi, using breakages to make objects even finer than before. It leaves us many roads to travel!