Japanese Tea bowls- The art of the pinch pot

What is clay?

 Clay is the result of decomposing rocks and metal oxides. 

Clay  when wet with the proper amount of water forms a cohesive mass and retains its shape when molded. This quality is known as clay’s plasticity. When heated to high temperatures, clay also partially melts, resulting in the tight, hard rock-like substance known as ceramic material.

Pinch pot: History and preparation of tea during the Japanese tea ceremony

"Drinking of  teas was introduced to Japan in the 9th century, by the Buddhist monk Eichu who had returned to Japan from China.  Around the end of the 12th century, the style of tea preparation called "tencha", in which powdered tea was placed in a bowl, hot water poured into the bowl, and the tea and hot water whipped together, was introduced by Eisai, another Japanese monk returning from China.  He brought tea seeds back with him which eventually produced tea that was of the most superb quality in all of Japan.  This powdered green tea was first used in religious rituals in Buddhist monastaries.  The tea ceremony developed its own aesthetic, wabi-sabi.  The wabi-sabi aesthetic is one of beauty that is characterized by humility, restraint, simplicity, naturalism, imperfections and asymmetry."

 “The tea ceremony requires years of training and practice . . . yet the whole of this art, as to its detail, signifies no more than the making and serving of a cup of tea. The supremely important matter is that the act be performed in the most perfect, most polite, most graceful, most charming manner possible.”
Likewise, the pinch pot needs to be made in the most, graceful and charming manner possible.

Article from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony

Click here for pinch pot Japanese tea bowl ceremony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tt7NBIVeMY&feature=youtube


How do I make a pinch pot? 

How to pinch pot video

Form clay into a ball.  Hold it in a cupped hand.  Start in the center and press into the clay with your thumb about 1/8 inch.  Then pinch up the walls. Turn the piece as you pinch.  This will help you to keep an even thickness in the walls of the piece. Repeat until your thumb is about 3/8 inch from the bottom. Gently pat the bottom on a flat surface to create a flat spot on the bottom of the piece.

Pinch-Pot Rubric:

Walls - consistent thickness; not too thin; pleasant to cradle; smooth inside
 
Rim - smooth; "kissable"; pleasing undulation; potential irregularities

Foot - stable; "pleasing" shape/design; properly score/slip to attach

Stamp - pressed your stamp into your tea bowl 

Name - clearly visible on the bottom  




Ms. Hom-Mandell does not endorse the embedded video or website options after Ms. Hom-Mandell's selected art video or website is viewed. For instance if someone decides to choose other options from the video server, those videos, pictures or comments are not part of Ms. Hom-Mandell’s philosophy and pedagogy.