Yunomi, Guinomi Confusion

[matthew shipp]

Greetings all. I am new to the forum and rather new to drinking tea in any kind of serious manner so forgive me if this question is absolutely laughable, but I am having a hard time identifying and keeping straight the different types of Japanese tea cups. I was fortunate enough to live in Japan for a couple of years and have a few of what I have always called yunomi. After doing some reading on the forum I realize that one of my smaller cups might be a guinomi.

Are there other classifications for cups in Japan beyond yunomi, guinomi and chawan ? Are there cups for tea that are guinomi size? Is tea ever drunk from a guinomi or smaller cups in the Japanese tradition or are these reserved for sake?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Matt

[debunix]

I have several lovely guinomi that I use for tea, some purchased because that was the only item by the maker that was affordable, or because the chawans and yunomis were too large or did not have the same appeal to me. No idea if this would be frowned on traditionally....

[thirst]

Morgan Pitelka of “Japanese Tea Culture” and “Handmade Culture”: http://www.unc.edu/~mpitelka/bowl_terms.html

[JRS22]

When I purchased a small Kenji Kyusu from Artisiic Nippon I had that same question. I like to buy matching cups when they're available, which gives me the option to mix or match when using the teaware. There were Kenji sake cups available and I asked Toro about using them for teacups. He was fine with it, although someone practicing the tea ceremony might not be. I was able to select a cup that was just the right size of the pot.

[JBaymore]

Maybe some stuff here will be of help: http://blog.nceca.net/what-makes-a-teab ... now-online

best,

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

[JBaymore]

Matt,

Since you are in a different country than Japan, and are not practicing a formal "tradition" of Tea....... drink out of whatever "floats your boat".

It is only when you get into "formality" that anyone will care.

Since you've spent some time in Japan... you know that if you were to do something they would consider "weird" with a drinking vessel...... they'll just consider you a 'dumb foreigner' and be done with it. ("Gaijin License")

best,

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

[Drax]

There's a technical definition, and then there's a practical definition.

It's true that the "yu" in "yunomi" is the same "yu" as in "cha no yu" (that is, basiically, hot water), and that the "gui" in "guinomi" refers to "one gulp."

I suppose it's that difference that causes people to say the smaller cups are for sake, and the larger ones are for tea. But there's no specific definition of size. And to add, I've seen potters sell cups as "guinomi" for tea.

So given all that, John offers some good advice.

Meanwhile, you might occasionally see other terms, but they are much rarer. Utsuwa, for example, simply means vessel or container, but is sometimes used as a generic term.

[Teadharma]

Are you Matthew Shipp the pianist?

[matthew shipp]

Thanks all for your thoughts. I guess I'll just drink out of whatever makes me happy and worry less about the appropriateness of it.

I am not Matthew Shipp the piano player. I have been asked that a couple of times. I do play a little Jazz guitar and always thought we could form a band called the Matt Shipps

[matthew shipp]

...on a slightly different note. I really like the little teacups that are used at Chinese restaurants. Does anyone know the names of these little guys? Are there a variety of sizes as far as Chinese teacups go?

Thanks again.