'chawan' tea bowls
chawan means ‘tea bowl’ in Japanese. Japan’s love of chawan dates back over 800 years, to when tea was first introduced to the country from the Chinese mainland.
Jian ware chawan (or Tenmoku) were coveted among Japanese upper class for their perfect aesthetic. Centuries later, a more humble and rustic style emerged called ‘Ido chawan’. If Tenmoko bowls are heavenly, then Ido chawan come straight from the Earth…
this duality captured my attention in my own making practise – the dance between perfection and chance, between control and freedom; not only relatable to my own temperament and how I navigate life, but also how I respond to, and work with clay/
my chawan are a joy to make; they offer a moment where I can be free, handing over my human constraints to a higher power. I allow the clay and slip to tell me how they want to exist; I am simply the conduit in this organic unravelling/
each chawan is unique, a moment in time captured and expressed through clay. Even the slip and glaze are applied spontaneously; one touch, one stoke, each timeless. The foot is carved according to traditional methods and I inscribe my name into the base using Japanese Kanji/
I offer three colour ways, all using a traditional ‘shino’ base glaze. One orange and milky cream; another reduction fired to olive green in a wood fired kiln and a darker ‘inky’ colour created by the inclusion of ash. Which one will you choose? Or should I say, which one will choose you?
'Chawan' Tea Bowls
Chawan means ‘tea bowl’ in Japanese. Japan’s relationship with the chawan stretches back centuries, developing alongside the introduction and evolution of tea culture. Early Jian ware tea bowls from China, known in Japan as Tenmoku, were highly prized for their refined aesthetic. Later, a more humble and rustic sensibility emerged through forms such as Ido chawan. If Tenmoku bowls feel almost celestial, Ido chawan seem to rise directly from the earth /
This duality captured my attention in my own making practice: the dance between perfection and chance, control and freedom. It reflects not only something of my own temperament and the way I navigate life, but also the way I respond to and work with clay /
My chawan are a joy to make because they offer a moment of release. I step away from the desire to control the outcome and allow the clay, slip and glaze to reveal something of their own character. I become less the author and more the conduit within an organic unfolding /
Each chawan is unique; a particular moment captured and expressed through clay. Slip and glaze are applied spontaneously — one touch, one stroke — allowing each surface to retain the immediacy of its making. The foot is carved in response to traditional chawan forms, and I inscribe my name into the base using Japanese kanji /
I offer two colour ways: an orange and milky cream Shino glaze; and a rich gold and black glaze, evocative of a rocky landscape, with delicate Japanese-inspired trees nestled into its craggy surfaces. Which one will you choose? Or perhaps… which one will choose you?
