Chawan question

[IPT]

Hello all and thanks for taking the time to read this.

I am not very knowledgeable about Chawan and was wondering what the general thought is about having a divit in the bottom of the Chawan. I only have four. Two Japanese, one Cory Lum, and One Splitfire Pottery. I love them all very much. One of them has the divit and I was wondering if that was normal. I have heard that the divit helps collect unmixed matcha powder, but I don't have a problem with that. My matcha is always thoroughly blended.

I know that there are a lot of experts here and I was wondering what your thoughts were on this.

Thanks again.

[Victoria]

Humm not sure I have any with divits.
Can you show us a picture?

[Jayaratna]

Sorry for the question, just I can't understand what's a divit (I am almost sure it is not the thing I found on the Urban dictionary!!!).

[IPT]

I couldn't find it online either. I mean a small dimple in the middle of the interior of the chawan.

[Geekgirl]

Divot. It's a golf term, means that little hollow you make when you hit the turf with your club and knock a chunk of lawn loose.

Friend of mine had a cat named Divot when I was a kid. Cat looked like a lawn divot, had the most messed up fur I've ever seen.

[JBaymore]

IPT (and all),

The area of a Chawan you are speaking about is called the "Chadamari". It is in the central region of the bottom of the bowl interior. It loosely translates a "tea pool".

One of the aesthetic qualities of the formal Chanoyu is the appreciation of the shape the small amount of leftover foam leaves as it coallesces in the bottom of the empty bowl after drinking. The Chadamari is there to affect how and where this forms.

On some types of thrown bowls, this area is formed simply by the initial opening/spreading action of the potter's hands. On those it is a casual process-based formation. On some types of bowls it is a more considered addition that it contemplated similar to the way maybe the foot area is considered. Which is to say, it is thought about a lot before and after the making.... but the actual making act is direct and deliberate and without "fussing". Sometimes it is impressed there, sometimes it is carved there, sometimes it happens from casual hand pinching, and so on.

If you look closely, you can just catch that Chadamari area of the interior of the last Chawan which I recently posted down in my Teaware Artisans thread.

This feature is only really found on bowls that are intended to be considered for formal Chanoyu. Outside of that setting, it really is sort of a moot point .

best,

...................john

[Seeker]

Thanks JB - wonderful.

IPT - how about a pic of that chadamari?

[britt]

I have heard that the divit helps collect unmixed matcha powder, but I don't have a problem with that. My matcha is always thoroughly blended.

I've found that small diameter, deeper depressions leave me with the choice of some matcha powder remaining or wearing out the chasen quicker. Larger, shallower depressions haven't been a problem but I still prefer bowls that have a smoother, more uniform bottom like my Rakyu Fujiyama replica. I find they do a consistently good job with very little effort. If I like a chawan I'll use it regardless of which type it is.