Due to being part of the same Eastern cultural sphere, Japanese tea wares emphasize connotations just like those in China.
This piece shares content from Chapter Five of “Tea Pleasures in Variegated Colours: The Spread of Chinese Tea and Foreign Tea Affairs,” written by Yu Yue and published by Guangming Daily Press in August 1999.
Since the 13th century, the custom of Drinking Tea has been widespread in Japan. After Kato Saemon studied porcelain making in our country and returned home, he began to pay attention to the porcelain industry. Kato, also known as Tojirō, settled in Seto, where generations of potters have maintained the traditional production of Seto ware.
In 1510, Goro-taifu came to Jingdezhen, China, to study porcelain manufacturing and returned to Japan in 1515. He brought back the techniques and materials needed for producing blue-and-white porcelain from Jingdezhen, setting up a kiln in Arita, known for its clay, marking the beginning of porcelain production in Japan. While in China, he went by the pseudonym Wu Yangrui, and the porcelain he made was also called Xiangrui. These products were limited to using Chinese techniques and materials without significant Innovation but later became rare and expensive porcelain.
By the end of the 16th century, after the establishment of the “Tea Ceremony,” the pottery industry flourished. At that time, many masters of the “Tea Ceremony” had their own kilns, and their products became priceless treasures. In Tokyo, a small teapot sold for $20,000; a tea bowl decorated by the renowned artisan Nonkō (Kiyosuke) fetched over $25,000; an undecorated black tea bowl was nearly $33,000. A Yohen Tenmoku tea bowl imitating products from Jian'an, Tianmu Mountain in China, with a black glossy glaze on the outside and rainbow-colored foam-like flowers on the inside, was valued at $81,000.
The tea bowls used in the “Tea Ceremony” are rough and porous, glazed with a low-fired, milk-like glaze that is a poor conductor of heat. This allows the tea to retain its warmth when passed around among guests without burning their hands. The glaze feels good against the lips, and the colors range from light orange-red to deep black, creating quite an unusual palette.
Japanese ceramics are named after their place of origin and include Raku ware, Takatori ware, Arita ware, and Imari ware. The style of Imari later became irregular, with coarse porcelain and grayish colors, but it became popular in Europe. (All foreign tea ware introductions mentioned above can be found in Chen Chuan's “General History of the Tea Industry.”)
In Japan, the term “cha-dogu” (tea utensils) only appeared after Shuko and when the tea ceremony truly became an art form. There are five aspects to the characteristics of tea utensils: the artistic beauty of tea utensils embodies the tea ceremony's respect for nature and return to nature; the artistic beauty is based on practicality; each tea utensil has a life and a story; each utensil reflects the discernment of famous tea people; and tea utensils pursue a harmonious beauty. (Teng Jun, “An Overview of Japanese Tea Culture,” Oriental Press, November 1992)
Related Reading
New Changes in Tea Ware Culture (Part One)
New Changes in Tea Ware Culture (Part Two)
New Changes in Tea Ware Culture (Part Three)