Tea Ceremony

The utensils of the Japanese tea room were made to be handled, looked at closely, and passed on. A chawan is the bowl the tea is whisked in; a mizusashi holds fresh water; a chaire or natsume keeps the powdered tea; the kettle, ladle and lid rest each have their place in the sequence of a gathering. Many pieces come in a signed wooden box, a tomobako, whose inscription names the maker or the kiln and is part of the object's history. We photograph the box and its writing, and we note the kiln or region where we can read it, such as Shigaraki, Hagi or Seto, and the potter's name where it is inscribed. Condition is described as we found it, including any old repairs that are visible. Seasonal shapes matter in tea: a shallow summer bowl, a deeper winter one. If a piece in this collection has already found a home, the page stays as a record, and the listing points you to what is still available.