The practice of making bowls for formal tea ceremonies in Japan dates back to the early 16th century. Having only been making pots for a few months, I am in no way capable of making forms that have evolved with the highest degree of consideration and craftsmanship over more than 5 centuries. But I can say after studying chawan, and using them as inspiration for my own ceramics practice, I have a newfound appreciation for the craft of the tea bowl.

I suspect that I’ll be making this form over and over again for years to come and at some point will start to feel good about my own level of craftsmanship here. Until then, here’s a gallery of some of my early attempts.

In addition to the bowls themselves, and the ceremony, another beautiful thing about chawan is that they are often packaged in very nicely made boxes for transport and storage. These boxes are also marvels of craftsmanship, and are yet another expression of respect for how special this artform and its traditions are.

Asa and I have made some tea bowl boxes out of maple, with adornments inspired by our own experiences, like the little brass tacks in the box corners, a leather lining to hold the bowl in place, and a leather strap to hold the box shut.