Korean Totoya Chawan

Name: Korean Totoya Chawan
Brand: Karaku Kiln
SKU: US-M444
Price: 188.10 USD
Availability: InStock

Karaku Kiln

$188.10 ~~Sale price$198.00~~

This Korean Totoya chawan (matcha bowl) has all the hallmarks of this classic style: a wide open shape, fine rokurome that spiral up the thin walls, a greyish-blue tint over the warm clay, and pinkish gohon spots. The bowl is coated in a simple transparent glaze, so the warm tones, hue gradients, and spots all come from the clay itself as it is rapidly heated in the kiln. The small red spots form as tiny bubbles from within the clay rise to the surface.

Totoya chawan (斗々屋茶碗) is one of the most favoured styles of Korean tea bowls. This style as a few alternate spellings (魚屋・渡唐屋 ) all of which reference the story of the first Totoya chawan, which is that Sen-no-Rikyū saw it on a shelf at a fishmonger's shop. While totoya bowls can vary in appearance they generally have a these traits in common:

• Fine, yet pronounced Rokurome (轆轤目 - potters' wheel marks): a subtle spiral shape left by the potter's fingers as they shaped the piece on the wheel
• A wide, open shape
• A reddish clay base with a grey-blue tint to the translucent glaze.
• Thin walls that undulate as they spread out
• Gohon spots

This chawan was made by Karaku Kiln and comes with a paulownia wood box (kiribako - 桐箱) signed by the artist.

Korean ceramics have been treasured for use in the Japanese tea ceremony since the 1500s. However, the styles of Korean bowls that became desirable in Japan were not ones that were considered praiseworthy in Korea, where by the 16th century, the elite were using pure white porcelain. Instead, Japan favoured imperfect stoneware styles, some of which now fall under the category of Buncheong ware. Most of these bowls were not designed for use in chanoyu but were general rice or food bowls. The practice of adapting non-tea objects into the tea ceremony is called mitate and has long been a part of chanoyu.

Starting around the 1590s, tea masters in Japan would send designs to the Korean kilns around Busan and place orders for custom-made chawan. Some of these bowls were continuations of the original styles, while others were new creations. Around the same time, some Korean potters were brought to Japan and started kilns, such as Hagi and Karatsu, and continued to produce Korean-style wares.

Today, most Korean-style chawan are made in Japan, but there are still potters in Korea continuing or reviving traditional ceramic traditions.

Fine, yet pronounced Rokurome (轆轤目 - potters' wheel marks): a subtle spiral shape left by the potter's fingers as they shaped the piece on the wheel
A wide, open shape
A reddish clay base with a grey-blue tint to the translucent glaze.
Thin walls that undulate as they spread out
Gohon spots

Karaku Kiln (駕洛窯), located in Muan, South Korea, is headed by fourth generation potter Shimizu Hisashi (清水久嗣) who took over in 2006 and also operates his family's main kiln, Rakuzan Kiln (楽山窯) in Mie Prefecture (Banko-yaki). Shimizu-san was born in Yokkaichi, Mie, studied art and design in the US, before retuning to Japan to study pottery under his father, and then travelled to Korea to further his studies. He is a member of the Enshū-ryū school of Japanese tea ceremony, which values the kirei-sabi (elegant rusticity - 綺麗さび) aesthetics of Korean teaware.

Shimizu-san's great-grandfather was the first Banko potter to incorporate Korean styles into their work, and his father furthered this practice by travelling to Korea to study pottery, research Joseon-era ceramic materials and techniques, and eventually setup some kilns. Today, Shimizu-san produces Korean-style chawan in Japan at Rakuzan Kiln and also produces Korean chawan in Korea at Karaku Kiln.