Woodfired Chawan

This chawan was wheel thrown in my small pottery studio here in Taiwan. I have a studio that I have built on the rooftop of my apartment. It overlooks the Yamingshand mountains - a constant source of inspiration.

This particular bowl was thrown in the wabi sabi style. Wabi sabi is a Japanese term that means finding beauty in the imperfection. I believe an asymmetrical tea bowl adds more character. We as humans are imperfect and this thought goes into my work. A tea bowl should also be able to tell a story or at least leave one open for interpretation.

Wood firing is an unpredictable process. Wood is burnt over a four day period to heat the kiln to about 1,070 degrees Celsius. During this time, the wood ash falls on pots in random places and then turns into a glaze. The whole kiln is entirely heated by wood. It is a turbulent time. When this tea bowl was fired a small chunk of another pot fell into the pot. This piece is now part of the bowl. You can feel it inside the chawan. Some people celebrate this chance happening, saying it adds to the story of the handmade fired piece. Other people do not like it. The choice will be yours.

Be the owner of a handmade, original tea bowl from the beautiful island of Taiwan.

Detailed dimensions:

Reduction fired - gas kiln
Holds 400 mL
Height: 7 cm
Width: 11 cm