Consideration for Examining Goryeo-chawan in Wabi-cha : Focusing on Nanboroku and Yamanouesojiki

Abstract

This article examines how Goryeo-chawan, which were daily utensils for Koreans, were rediscovered as special tea bowls in the Japanese tea ceremony, and how they were re-born as tea utensils with new vitality. Goryeo-chawan are the Korean made ceramics which were used in the Japanese tea ceremony and they can be roughly classified into two types: “Mitate-chawan” which were used as tea bowls for everyday utensils and “Ordered Tea bowls” which were produced in Korea according to the order of the Japanese tea ceremony. At the end of the 16th century, Goryeo-chawan selected by Wabi-cha in the Senrikyu period was “Mitate-chawan”, and it was found that Goryeo-chawan was actually used mainly in Chakaiki, Nanboroku and Yamanouesojiki. In the Nanboroku, ‘Ido-chawan’ ‘Mishima-chawan’ and ‘Hakeme-chawan’ were used, and it was found that ‘Tsutsu-chawan’ was used not only in winter, but also in summertime. Yamanouesojiki mentioned only Ido-chawan, saying that Karamono, famous Chinese tea bowls, declined and Koryo-chawan appeared as new tea bowls. Also, it was thought that Ido-chawan were not everyday utensils, but utensils especially made for ancestral rituals. Wabi-cha is not uniform, but rather, it is unique due to its emphasis on individuality, and it pursues simple and elegant tea ceremony; thus Goryeo-chawan is well suited in this respect. In the early days, Goryeo-chawan used in Japanese tea ceremony did not have a strong individuality, but comprised simple and natural shapes with a variety of expressions. In addition, they did not mean to surpass masterpieces, but valued the harmony and balance with other tea utensils rather than the superiority of one master bowl.