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Why did Japanese tea masters value Chinese Jian ware?
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Chinese pottery
Painted Pottery funerary urn, Neolithic Banshan phase, c. 3000 bce, from Yangshao, Henan province, China; in the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm. Height 13.2 inches (33.5 cm).
Japanese tea masters highly valued Jian ware—known in Japan as temmoku—for its suitability in the highly ritualized tea ceremony.12
These dark-glazed stoneware bowls, originally used by Chan (Zen) Buddhist monks in China, were prized for several specific qualities:
- Heat Retention: The bowls were valued for their ability to retain heat, which was essential for the preparation and enjoyment of tea.3
- Aesthetic Appeal: Connoisseurs admired the variations in the dark, iron-oxide glazes, particularly those resembling "hare’s fur" streaks or "oil spot" mottling.12
- Tactile Experience: Beyond their visual appearance, the bowls were appreciated for how they fit in the hand, contributing to the sensory experience of the ceremony.3
These bowls remained the preferred choice for the Japanese tea ceremony until the late 16th century, when the tea master Sen Rikyū began promoting a shift toward simpler, often Korean-inspired, wares that aligned with a more austere aesthetic.45