My first Matcha bowl.

[Geekgirl]

At the end, you restrengthen the whisk by whisking it in cold rinse water. My tea teacher explicitly told me that the latter step helps the whisk last longer - in fact, I expect that both steps contribute.

Ya learn something new every day. I will start doing that.

[chamekke]

At the end, you restrengthen the whisk by whisking it in cold rinse water. My tea teacher explicitly told me that the latter step helps the whisk last longer - in fact, I expect that both steps contribute.

Ya learn something new every day. I will start doing that.

It's one of those things that, once explained, makes perfect functional sense... like so many of the other mystifying little steps we learn in tea ceremony.

[shogun89]

I have a question for you guys. Is glaze supposed to absorb water? I rinsed my bowl in warm water last night and I noticed a change in color of the glaze from white to a sort of greenish color, its quite pretty. Is this OK? I let it dry over night and today out of curiosity I wet my finger and dabbed the glaze, Let it site for about 10 seconds then whipped of the excess water, the color of the glaze has obviously changed. What do you think? I hope this is not a problem.
also, When dry you can see little tiny cracks in the glaze, Its like that crackle effect that they always have in pots and stuff, when wetted this is the first spot of color change, the cracks then the rest changes colors.

[scruffmcgruff]

I have a question for you guys. Is glaze supposed to absorb water? I rinsed my bowl in warm water last night and I noticed a change in color of the glaze from white to a sort of greenish color, its quite pretty. Is this OK? I let it dry over night and today out of curiosity I wet my finger and dabbed the glaze, Let it site for about 10 seconds then whipped of the excess water, the color of the glaze has obviously changed. What do you think? I hope this is not a problem.

I would amputate the finger; you never know.

On a more helpful note... I have heard that some glazes change colors like that, so it's not weird enough for immediate concern. Maybe chamekke or other glaze/pottery enthusiasts could answer this better.

[chamekke]

I don't have enough experience of this to have an authoritative comment, sorry. I don't think I've noticed this with any of my own chawan-s.

In general, the teabowl is rinsed with hot water prior to making matcha (1) to ensure that the bowl is warmed and won't cool down the drink, but also (2) to allow the clean clear water to penetrate any fine cracks in the glaze so that the bowl isn't gradually stained over time by being used repeatedly for matcha. But what shogun89 is describing seems to be a change of colour that happens when the bowl is dampened with water. I think, if the original colour returns to the glaze once the bowl is dry, it's probably fine.

Ultimately, what matters is whether the colour change appeals to you or bothers you. If you like it (or at least, you don't mind it), there is no problem.

[shogun89]

I don't have enough experience of this to have an authoritative comment, sorry. I don't think I've noticed this with any of my own chawan-s.

In general, the teabowl is rinsed with hot water prior to making matcha (1) to ensure that the bowl is warmed and won't cool down the drink, but also (2) to allow the clean clear water to penetrate any fine cracks in the glaze so that the bowl isn't gradually stained over time by being used repeatedly for matcha. But what shogun89 is describing seems to be a change of colour that happens when the bowl is dampened with water. I think, if the original colour returns to the glaze once the bowl is dry, it's probably fine.

Ultimately, what matters is whether the colour change appeals to you or bothers you. If you like it (or at least, you don't mind it), there is no problem.

Thank you very much for clearing that up for me. The glaze does change color because of the absorption of the water. And the water does dry out of it. I just wanted to make sure that the matcha would not stain it some weird color, but as you said as long as it is rinsed it should be at its full capacity and should not let any stain in.
Also do they leave the bottom unglazed for reasons like this? To keep air flowing through it?

[chamekke]

Also do they leave the bottom unglazed for reasons like this? To keep air flowing through it?

The reason I have heard is that an unglazed foot (koudai) shows the "character" of the clay. Because the clay is naked, it also more clearly indicates the personality of the potter. It's said that you can tell a lot about the potter from the foot.

I have seen the occasional glazed foot, so it's not 100% out of the question, but most of the time the foot is left unglazed.

My suspicion also is that an unglazed foot is more easily gripped than a glazed foot. For example, in tea ceremony, you hold the bowl with your left hand (gripping the lip with your left thumb, and the foot ring with your left fingers) to pour out the rinse water. Because you are using only one hand to do this, your grip needs to be 100% firm. In my experience, an unglazed foot tends to be less slippery.

[shogun89]

Also do they leave the bottom unglazed for reasons like this? To keep air flowing through it?

The reason I have heard is that an unglazed foot (koudai) shows the "character" of the clay. Because the clay is naked, it also more clearly indicates the personality of the potter. It's said that you can tell a lot about the potter from the foot.

I have seen the occasional glazed foot, so it's not 100% out of the question, but most of the time the foot is left unglazed.

My suspicion also is that an unglazed foot is more easily gripped than a glazed foot. For example, in tea ceremony, you hold the bowl with your left hand (gripping the lip with your left thumb, and the foot ring with your left fingers) to pour out the rinse water. Because you are using only one hand to do this, your grip needs to be 100% firm. In my experience, an unglazed foot tends to be less slippery.

Hmmm, makes sense. Do you think that those little "cuts", scratches or whatever they are in the foot is the artists "signature"?

[chamekke]

Do you think that those little "cuts", scratches or whatever they are in the foot is the artists "signature"?

Unlikely, I think. Most of the signatures I've seen are etched or stamped clearly into the underside of the bowl. Those cuts look as though they were made during the bowl's production.

Sometimes teabowls are unsigned. This is usually true of mass-produced bowls, and sometimes other bowls as well. I have several unsigned teabowls.

I've posted a link to this article before, but in case you haven't seen it, you might enjoy taking a look:
Kodai - what's the fuss about the foot?

[andy825]

When the peices are fired in the kiln, the glaze actually melts to liquid then hardens as it cools. When the glaze is in its liquid state, if glaze creeps off of the piece it will stick to the kiln after firing. it is much easier to avoid this if the foot is left unglazed. if you are going to glaze the foot you need to be much more careful about how the glaze is applied, thickness etc.

[MarshalN]

I think some glazes do change colour after a while, especially if it's a crackled glazed product. My kensui right now is a lot darker than when I first got it, mostly thanks to it being fed tea every day. Keep in mind I use it for Chinese tea purposes.

I think a bowl that has cuts like that at the bottom tend to be more of the mass produced type.... the nicer signed pieces I've seen usually don't have that look. These are, I think, sometimes referred to as "practice chawan", as in you can use it to practice your skills....

[joelbct]

I just got this from Wegmans for $20. Its made in Japan and imported through a company called Miya. What do you guys think?

Hey, if it is big enough for whisking, looks good to me. Where have you gotten matcha so far?

[britt]

Well, I am glad to hear that you guys like it, I was a little skeptical about it since it was being sold at a grocery store for $20, but I guess i was wrong. They sell matcha there for $10 and a Chinese tea whisk for $13. What are the downsides to Chinese whisks?

Other forum members pretty much covered the downside of Chinese whisks. I'll just add one thing, relevant to the O-Cha.com info about incomplete drying. It has been claimed that fungicides are added to the Chinese whisks to prevent mold where the Japanese whisks don't require it due to the longer drying period. I have never actually owned a Chinese made whisk because I'm not willing to trade quality or potential safety for a lower price.

The first Japanese whisk I owned lasted about a year, used about five times a week. It was still useable when I replaced it, but it was beginning to lose it's shape and there were some splits at the ends of the tines. I do soak the whisk in the matcha chawan while I'm preheating it. I don't know if this prolongs the life, but it seems to help get plenty of foam or froth from the matcha.

Others have mentioned already that how you use the whisk will help determine how long it will last. The bowl can also affect this, especially matcha bowls that are rough inside or have indentations in the bottom.

For best results it is important to preheat the matcha bowl and when ready to make the matcha, to use water that is hot enough. Most Japanese teas require cooler water to get the best results, but IMO matcha requires hotter water to get the best foam. The foam should be made up of small, fine bubbles, not big ones, but I wouldn't worry about that yet. I find that faster whisking isn't as effective as more moderate whisking; it can produce some pretty large bubbles.

[Geekgirl]

It has been claimed that fungicides are added to the Chinese whisks to prevent mold where the Japanese whisks don't require it due to the longer drying period. I have never actually owned a Chinese made whisk because I'm not willing to trade quality or potential safety for a lower price.

Agreed. It seems that there is some kind of anti-mildew agent in my chinese whisk, as it was not as prone in the beginning to developing mildew spots, if I put it away damp. After a couple of months of heavy use, whatever treatment had been added is probably gone now, and it acts the same.

These two photos will illustrate the quality difference between the two whisks, top one is japanese, bottom is chinese.



three months of daily use on this whisk. You can see that the tines are still well formed, with no fraying and each tine is very even in thickness and curl.




just under two months of use, about 5 times per week. Tines have lost form, and tend to warp more. Upon closer inspection there is some slight fraying of the center tines already present, unlike the Japanese whisk, where very little wear is seen.

[chamekke]

Great photos and commentary, Geekgirl. Thank you!