While many tea enthusiasts are familiar with the gaiwan—the traditional Chinese lidded bowl used for preparing and drinking tea—the gaiwan’s simpler relative, the chawan, is often less well known.
The word chawan literally means “tea bowl.” Unlike a gaiwan, a chawan has no lid or saucer; it is simply a bowl designed for drinking tea. Many people recognize chawan from the Japanese tea ceremony, where tea is traditionally served and enjoyed from tea bowls. However, chawan originated in China and were introduced to Japan between the 13th and 16th centuries, where they became an important part of Japanese tea culture.
Black-glazed chawan from the British Museum (photo by Elise Nuding).
A Song Dynasty Tea Bowl
The first chawan pictured here dates to China’s Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127). Produced in Dingzhou, it belongs to the family of ceramics known as Ding ware, which was celebrated for its refined craftsmanship and elegant appearance.
Ding potters were famous for their distinctive glazes as well as their finely crafted white ceramics. This particular tea bowl was coated with an iron-rich glaze that produced a glossy black finish when fired.
Dark-colored Ding wares were often associated with luxurious lacquerware, a highly valued art form of the period. The addition of a decorative copper band around the rim suggests that this was more than an ordinary household vessel and may have been intended for a higher-status owner.
Chawan designed to imitate red lacquerware (photo by Elise Nuding).
A Qing Dynasty Masterpiece
The second chawan represents a very different period in Chinese ceramic history. Manufactured during the Qing Dynasty between 1736 and 1795, this vibrant red tea bowl reflects changing artistic tastes while maintaining connections to earlier luxury traditions.
By the eighteenth century, lacquerware remained highly prized, and ceramic artists frequently sought to imitate its appearance. This bowl is an example of the era’s fascination with trompe-l’oeil ceramics—objects designed to convincingly resemble materials other than clay.
It was produced in Jingdezhen, often called the porcelain capital of China, a city renowned for centuries of ceramic excellence.
The bowl is inscribed with a poem that celebrates both tea and the beauty of flowers:
“It is made in the shape of a fragrant chrysanthemum, but compared with the chrysanthemum is more delicate. As I sip tea, I am pleased to compare it with taking dew from this freshly picked flower.”
Translation as provided by the British Museum object label.
More Than Just Tea Bowls
These two chawan illustrate how a simple tea bowl can reveal centuries of artistic, cultural, and tea-drinking history. Although separated by hundreds of years, both reflect the importance of tea in Chinese society and the remarkable skill of the artisans who crafted them.
Whether admired for their beauty, their craftsmanship, or their connection to tea culture, chawan remain among the most fascinating objects in the history of tea.
See more of Elise Nuding’s articles in this archive of tea history and culture articles.
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