2021 Volume 53 Issue 1 Pages 73-80
This study focuses on the viewpoint of tea masters, users of tea utensils, to demonstrate the importance of rotai, the unglazed surface of ceramic ware, and how they appreciate it in chanoyu. First, by analyzing various books on tea, this study shows tea masters’ deep interest in rotai. Then, it looks at descriptions of clay in books on famous tea utensils as well as in records of tea ceremonies to identify the key appreciation points of rotai. In many documents, tea ceremony hosts are advised to refrain from touching an unglazed surface as much as possible when making and serving tea in order to prevent the sweat and fat of their hands from staining it. There are also many descriptions advising guests to look closely at the clay when they see tea utensils. This indicates that both the host and the guests take a great interest in rotai, which is a key element in the appreciation of ceramic tea utensils. This study also clarifies four important points in the appreciation of rotai: the color of the clay, its roughness, the shape of the bottom of the ceramic ware, and the area of the unglazed surface.
