much of what I’ll talk about is of limited application.
Semantics
Words matter. Specificity can be important.
“The difference between the almost right word & the
right word is really a large matter – it’s the difference
between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
Mark Twain
Semantics
Semantics
teabowlvs.
yunomivs.
Chawan
Lost in Translation
Director: Sofía Coppola
Writer: Sofía Coppola
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Akiko Takeshita, Ryuichiro Baba, Catherine Lambert
Used under “Fair Use”
湯飲みYunomi
湯 Yu - meaning “hot water”
Nomi - meaning “to drink”飲み
湯飲みYunomi
Literal translation is “hot water drink”
湯飲みYunomi
The best English language equivalent is maybe
“CUP”
or possibly even
“HOT BEVERAGE CUP”
湯飲みYunomi
Nowhere in that name do we find this Kanji character
茶
茶碗Chawan
The Kanji used above here are specific
to a container for
camellia sinensis (tea).
湯飲み vs. 茶碗
Yunomi Chawan
Some CommonChawan Shapes
井戸型Well Type
Ido-gata
半筒型Semi-cylindricalHan tsutsu-gata
Freer/Sackler Collection
Freer/Sackler Collection
呉記型Goki TypeGoki-gata
Some Basics
Chanoyu
Chanoyu
Chanoyu
ChanoyuMatcha is powdered tea
Whisking powdered Matcha
ChanoyuMatcha is powdered tea
Chanoyu
Koicha - Thick Tea
Usucha – Thin Tea
About Chawan
“It has to be a well-balanced,
pleasantly-weighted form that brings
together all aspects of composition
from the way the lip is angled, to the
curves of the body and how that will
influence the inner “pool,” all the way
down to the underside where the
kodai-foot is carved.”
Robert Yellin
Japan Times
“Chawan: Simply, some of the hardest works of pottery to create”
September 25, 2013
Evaluating Chawan
What do Chawan have to do with skiing?
Easiest More Difficult Most Difficult Caution
ChanoyuChawan Rating System
Easiest More Difficult Most Difficult Caution
The Expected
“The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.”
Various Technical Considerations
取り合わせToriawase
Rank has Privledges
In the right context…a hubcap could be a Chawan.
Easiest
Easiest• Very light weight and good balance• Very smooth glazes and surfaces• Distinct and regular foot• Tried and true forms• Good height and width for whisking• Simple surfaces and decorations• Very much fitting that which is “expected”
Easiest
More Difficult
More Difficult• Light to moderate in weight• Slightly less centered balance• Moderately rough glazes or surfaces• Slightly unusual and asymmetrical forms• Not easy shape in which to whisk• Stronger visual surfaces / decorations• Slightly challenging the “expected”
Most Difficult
Most Difficult• Very heavy weight• Rough surfaces in mikomi / kuchi• Challenging forms• Non-central balance point• Difficult to grip the foot• Highly complex surfaces and decorations• Visually hard to fit into “Toriawase”• Not much fitting that which is “expected”
Caution!
Caution!• An extreme of weight (usually very heavy)• Totally abnormal size• Extremely rough surfaces and/or glazes• Totally unusual / sculptural forms• Excessively bold/aggressive decoration• Not at all fitting that which is “expected”
OverarchingEverything
Tradition旧典
The Expected
“The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.”
Tradition puts us in a bit of a box.
旧典Tradition
Emotion
Gender
Death
You have lived long and prospered, Leonard!R.I.P.
Endless possibilities within a tight set of “norms”.
Key ConsiderationsFor Chawan
#1
Size
Saizu : サイズ
13 cm
8 cm
Or very close to this
1 : 1.618
1 : 1.618
Honami Koetsu Chawan 17th Cen. Victoria and Albert Museum
1 : 1.618
Momoyama Jidai Nezumi Chawan Gotoh Museum
1 : 1.618
Arakawa Toyozo Shino Chawan 20th Cen.
Why?
13 cm
Why?
Why?
Need to ‘nestle’ into human hands.
Dou 胴
#2
Weight
Weight 重量
Overall about454 grams
-1 pound -
Or very close to this
Weight 重量
Typical fired is between 300 grams and 600 grams.
If wet clay is about 30% waterweight, that means a finished form made with about 390 grams to 780 grams of wet clay.
0.86 to 1.7 pounds
Weight 重量
When fired, they are about 350 grams.
For the “standard” aka rakuforming process, the startingdisk of clay before formingand carving is 1 Kilogram.
2.2 pounds
#3
Balance
Center Of Mass 質量中心
Balance at center
Distribution of weight matters a lot.
#4
Interior Surface
Relatively smooth surface.
Mikomi 見込
Transition between wall and floor not “creased”.
Mikomi 見込
The whisk’s tines are very fragile.
Mikomi 見込
Transition between wall and floor not “creased”.
Mikomi 見込
Koshi ‘- transition curve
#5
Quality of the Rim
Contact with the lips.
Kuchi Zukuri 口造
Ritual wiping of the rim of the bowl
Chakin 茶巾
Chakin 茶巾
Chakin 茶巾
Chakin 茶巾
#6
The “grip-ability” of the Foot
Koudai 高台
Using the Kensui 建水
Using the Chakin 茶巾
Presenting the Bowl
#7
The “Tea Pool”
There usually is a depression called the “Tea Pool”.
Chadamari 茶だまり
There usually is a depression called the “Tea Pool”.
Chadamari 茶だまり
There usually is a depression called the “Tea Pool”.