Tea Bowl (chawan)

Raku-type vessels are hand-built rather than thrown on the wheel, with ground-up flint and sand often mixed in with the clay, and high lead content in the glaze. The clay is fired at a much lower temperature than porcelain and stoneware. What comes out of the kiln is unpredictable, and imperfections are admired as material evidence of the balance between the power of nature and human control over it.