Hanspeter Muller on tue 14 mar 00
I am interested in the japanese bowls which are commonly used for
everyday drinking of tea. I believe they are called " yuonomi".
What are their dimensions and are they usually made in pairs, one
larger than the other?
Can they be made from stoneware or should they be porcelain, meaning
more delicate?
I would appreciate any input.... thanks, Renate
hasebe on wed 15 mar 00
Hi, Renate
Dimension varies, around 8 to 10 cm high. 7.5cm exterior diameter and 8.5 cm
exterior height (including a foot) cylinder shape will do the job. Paired
cups, one larger than the other , are called "Meoto-yumomi" for husband and
wife. Gift shops sell these sets.
People use a different shape and size of his or her favorite cup for daily
use. If you have formal guests, the same shape and size of cups are used.
Japanese usually buy odd numbers for a set, three, five, etc.
You can use either stoneware or porcelain.
Hodaka
----------
>From: Hanspeter Muller
>To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
>Subject: Japanese teabowls
>Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 14:19:51 EST
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I am interested in the japanese bowls which are commonly used for
> everyday drinking of tea. I believe they are called " yuonomi".
> What are their dimensions and are they usually made in pairs, one
> larger than the other?
> Can they be made from stoneware or should they be porcelain, meaning
> more delicate?
> I would appreciate any input.... thanks, Renate
Eloise VanderBilt on wed 15 mar 00
Having spent 25 years in Japan drinking tea informally, I can safely say a
few things about tea cups. The majority of the ones used in homes are about
2 inches across the top and 3 inches tall. There is another type about 3
inches across the top and 2 1/2 inches tall. The tea cups made in pairs
with lids on them are, I think, mostly gift items and for display in the
home. We were never served tea in cups like that although I have about a
dozen pair received as gifts. One oddity is that tea sets always come with 5
tea cups. We were told that nothing is sold in sets of four ("shi" in
Japanese) because another meaning of "shi" is death. So in the old
buildings there was no fourth floor either. The tea ceremony tea-cup is
entirely a different thing.
Aiko Ichimura on thu 16 mar 00
Hi,
In addition to what other members commented, I would like to comment a few
more points.
There are basically two kinds of tea bowls : one kind that is used for
serving powdered green tea( 10 -15 cm) in the tea ceremony and another
kind that is used for everyday drinking of green tea or other kind of leaf
tea( sencha, bancha, genmaicha and houjicha) and called
unomi-chawan( yunomi-jyawan)
Yunomi-chawans are what you are thinking of. Unomi-chawans are generally
6-10 cm in diameter. When we drink very high quality sencha green tea, the
thin porcelain tea cups
are preferred because the yellow-green color of the tea can be seen better
against the white color
of the porcelain. When we drink tea of lesser quality such as bancha, we
might use the more robust and thicker stoneware teacups. The bancha and
other lessor quality tea are usually served in the higher
temperature compared to the high quality green tea's lukewarm warm
temperature.
The green tea is appreciated by its color, smell and the taste.
If you live near a Japanese gift shop or an oriental gift shop, I recommend
to visit there and touch and feel
several kinds of shapes among yunomi-chawans.
One more thing, when tea is served for guests, it is served in a porcelain
teacup on a chataku( usually wooden saucer) and may be with a porcelain lid.
I am sure there are lots more to tell you. I have several books on the
serving tea and the tea ceremony.
Aiko Ichimura
NW DC 20036 USA
aikop@erols.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Eloise VanderBilt
To:
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 2:58 PM
Subject: Re: Japanese teabowls
Bob Hanlin on thu 16 mar 00
Several years ago I bought a tea bowl in San Fransisco's Japan Town. It's
about 5" wide and 4" tall. Appears to be handmade or thrown from very soft
clay. The bowls at the art stores were quite expensive, but the one I got
was a drug store where they were selling stuff for students studying tea
ceremony.
FIW
Bob Hanlin
----- Original Message -----
From: Hanspeter Muller
To:
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2000 7:19 PM
Subject: Japanese teabowls
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I am interested in the japanese bowls which are commonly used for
> everyday drinking of tea. I believe they are called " yuonomi".
> What are their dimensions and are they usually made in pairs, one
> larger than the other?
> Can they be made from stoneware or should they be porcelain,
meaning
> more delicate?
> I would appreciate any input.... thanks, Renate
>
Aiko Ichimura on fri 17 mar 00
Hi all.
Yesterday, when I came home from the tea ceremony lesson, I had an email
message from Anji telling
me she lives near me and wanted to borrow books from me.
I called her and chatted with her about the tea ceremony.
During the tea ceremony, after the guests are served bowls of tea, the main
guest would ask
the host about each utensil. Probably stating the tea itself served for
the ceremony and continue
on to the sweat, the tea bowl, the tea container, the bamboo tea scooper,
the water jar .....
The host would make special effort putting together utensils to suite the
occasion of the tea ceremony
often reflecting the season. He/she would not have anything there by chance
but with specifc meaning
of the occasion to please the guest's eyes and to give the guests memorable
experience.
Naturally the host would be very knowledgeable about the artists who made
those utensils and methods
and materials used. For the pottery utensils such as tea bowls and water
jars, he/she would know who
made it , the name of ware, and the poetic name for the item such as "
Spring Rain" or whatever the artist
gave it.
The guests can examine or appreciate the tea bowl after finishing drinking
tea. He/she bends forward close
to the tatami mat, putting both elbows on the knees ( we are on our knees on
the tatami mat) and hold the tea bowl
close to the tatami mat so that there is no chance dropping and breaking the
tea bowl.
We can see the side and the bottom of the bowl. This is not optional.
Every guest is expected to do this. the most of small utensils would be
passed along
from the main guest to the last guest. Each guest appreciate each items
putting them
in the right spot and holding them on the correct hand and putting back to
the correct spot again....
The main guest and the last guest have important duties to perform.
So remember to sit in the middle if you ever be invited to a tea ceremony
and you don't know what to do.
The middle guest can just enjoy the whole thing without worrying about
the timing of asking right questions.
Interestingly, in my yesterday's lesson, the two types of tea were served:
usucha(thin tea) and koicha(very thick tea).
For the koicha, the host explained that the tea bowl was black raku and the
water jar was made
by an American potter called Singleton( if I heard it correctly).
It was greenish glaze with ears attached looking like a Chinese cookie jar.
It was slightly larger mizusashi(water jar) than I have seen in Japan.
I should quit now. I got carried away talking about the tea ceremony. My
husband says "I am sick and tired
of the tea ceremony"
Aiko Ichimura
NW DC 20036 USA
aikop@erols.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Aiko Ichimura
To:
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: Japanese teabowls
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi,
> In addition to what other members commented, I would like to comment a few
> more points.
>
> There are basically two kinds of tea bowls : one kind that is used for
> serving powdered green tea( 10 -15 cm) in the tea ceremony and another
> kind that is used for everyday drinking of green tea or other kind of
leaf
> tea( sencha, bancha, genmaicha and houjicha) and called
> unomi-chawan( yunomi-jyawan)
>
> Yunomi-chawans are what you are thinking of. Unomi-chawans are
generally
> 6-10 cm in diameter. When we drink very high quality sencha green tea, the
> thin porcelain tea cups
> are preferred because the yellow-green color of the tea can be seen better
> against the white color
> of the porcelain. When we drink tea of lesser quality such as bancha, we
> might use the more robust and thicker stoneware teacups. The bancha and
> other lessor quality tea are usually served in the higher
> temperature compared to the high quality green tea's lukewarm warm
> temperature.
> The green tea is appreciated by its color, smell and the taste.
> If you live near a Japanese gift shop or an oriental gift shop, I
recommend
> to visit there and touch and feel
> several kinds of shapes among yunomi-chawans.
>
> One more thing, when tea is served for guests, it is served in a porcelain
> teacup on a chataku( usually wooden saucer) and may be with a porcelain
lid.
>
> I am sure there are lots more to tell you. I have several books on the
> serving tea and the tea ceremony.
> Aiko Ichimura
> NW DC 20036 USA
> aikop@erols.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Eloise VanderBilt
> To:
> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 2:58 PM
> Subject: Re: Japanese teabowls
Aiko Ichimura on sat 18 mar 00
Sorry, I meant the sweet ( we eat before the tea) not the sweat( we do sweat
wearing layers of kimonos and obi) in the previous post.
Aiko Ichimura
NW DC 20036 USA
aikop@erols.com
Heidrun Schmid on sun 19 mar 00
Aiko, thank you for a very informative description ! I am saving it along with
all the other informations we had recently about teacups. So much to learn and
ponder...
Heidrun in Bangkok
Aiko Ichimura wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi all.
>
> Yesterday, when I came home from the tea ceremony lesson, I had an email
> message from Anji telling
> me she lives near me and wanted to borrow books from me.
> I called her and chatted with her about the tea ceremony.
>
> During the tea ceremony, after the guests are served bowls of tea, the main
> guest would ask
> the host about each utensil. Probably stating the tea itself served for
> the ceremony and continue
> on to the sweat, the tea bowl, the tea container, the bamboo tea scooper,
> the water jar .....
>
> The host would make special effort putting together utensils to suite the
> occasion of the tea ceremony
> often reflecting the season. He/she would not have anything there by chance
> but with specifc meaning
> of the occasion to please the guest's eyes and to give the guests memorable
> experience.
> Naturally the host would be very knowledgeable about the artists who made
> those utensils and methods
> and materials used. For the pottery utensils such as tea bowls and water
> jars, he/she would know who
> made it , the name of ware, and the poetic name for the item such as "
> Spring Rain" or whatever the artist
> gave it.
>
> The guests can examine or appreciate the tea bowl after finishing drinking
> tea. He/she bends forward close
> to the tatami mat, putting both elbows on the knees ( we are on our knees on
> the tatami mat) and hold the tea bowl
> close to the tatami mat so that there is no chance dropping and breaking the
> tea bowl.
> We can see the side and the bottom of the bowl. This is not optional.
> Every guest is expected to do this. the most of small utensils would be
> passed along
> from the main guest to the last guest. Each guest appreciate each items
> putting them
> in the right spot and holding them on the correct hand and putting back to
> the correct spot again....
>
> The main guest and the last guest have important duties to perform.
> So remember to sit in the middle if you ever be invited to a tea ceremony
> and you don't know what to do.
> The middle guest can just enjoy the whole thing without worrying about
> the timing of asking right questions.
> Interestingly, in my yesterday's lesson, the two types of tea were served:
> usucha(thin tea) and koicha(very thick tea).
> For the koicha, the host explained that the tea bowl was black raku and the
> water jar was made
> by an American potter called Singleton( if I heard it correctly).
> It was greenish glaze with ears attached looking like a Chinese cookie jar.
> It was slightly larger mizusashi(water jar) than I have seen in Japan.
>
> I should quit now. I got carried away talking about the tea ceremony. My
> husband says "I am sick and tired
> of the tea ceremony"
>
> Aiko Ichimura
> NW DC 20036 USA
> aikop@erols.com
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Aiko Ichimura
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2000 12:35 PM
> Subject: Re: Japanese teabowls
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > Hi,
> > In addition to what other members commented, I would like to comment a few
> > more points.
> >
> > There are basically two kinds of tea bowls : one kind that is used for
> > serving powdered green tea( 10 -15 cm) in the tea ceremony and another
> > kind that is used for everyday drinking of green tea or other kind of
> leaf
> > tea( sencha, bancha, genmaicha and houjicha) and called
> > unomi-chawan( yunomi-jyawan)
> >
> > Yunomi-chawans are what you are thinking of. Unomi-chawans are
> generally
> > 6-10 cm in diameter. When we drink very high quality sencha green tea, the
> > thin porcelain tea cups
> > are preferred because the yellow-green color of the tea can be seen better
> > against the white color
> > of the porcelain. When we drink tea of lesser quality such as bancha, we
> > might use the more robust and thicker stoneware teacups. The bancha and
> > other lessor quality tea are usually served in the higher
> > temperature compared to the high quality green tea's lukewarm warm
> > temperature.
> > The green tea is appreciated by its color, smell and the taste.
> > If you live near a Japanese gift shop or an oriental gift shop, I
> recommend
> > to visit there and touch and feel
> > several kinds of shapes among yunomi-chawans.
> >
> > One more thing, when tea is served for guests, it is served in a porcelain
> > teacup on a chataku( usually wooden saucer) and may be with a porcelain
> lid.
> >
> > I am sure there are lots more to tell you. I have several books on the
> > serving tea and the tea ceremony.
> > Aiko Ichimura
> > NW DC 20036 USA
> > aikop@erols.com
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Eloise VanderBilt
> > To:
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 2:58 PM
> > Subject: Re: Japanese teabowls
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