Artisan-made pottery and handcrafted tools are a meaningful way to elevate your matcha ritual. They also make for a thoughtful gift for the matcha-obsessed special someone in your life.
Through repeated use and the act of caring, everyday items can become treasured objects of gratitude and meditation, evolving from simple pieces into contemporary heirlooms. Some of our Objects for Rituals are carefully sourced, others are designed and crafted specifically for Matchaful. They are always special, of the highest quality, and only available in limited quantities.
The Kai Fukunaga Red Clay Chawan
The tea bowl—chawan—takes center stage in Japanese tea tradition. It is both a bowl for drinking and preparing tea. Many original designs and shapes borrowed from a variety of East Asian tableware sources have emerged over centuries. They all have their unique name, story of origin, and specific use.
We started working with Japanese ceramist Kai Fukunaga last year. Our first exclusive collaboration is a pair of ‘wa-nari chawan’ - sphere-shaped Red Clay Chawan. This more closed shape and style is preferred during the colder months, as it keeps tea hot for longer.
Kai creates her rustic but refined pieces at BKLYN CLAY in Prospect Heights from an iron-rich clay that turns a vibrant and intense dark red when fired. The bowls are cast and hand glazed individually, ensuring that each chawan is a unique treasure.
The Kurotake Shin Kazuho Whisk
The matcha whisk - chasen - is essential to every matcha ritual. Traditionally handcrafted from a single piece of bamboo, the thin and flexible strings of bamboo whisks achieve a perfect integration of matcha powder and water. Quick Z movements create the creamy signature froth.
The Kurotake Shin Kazuho Whisk is made in the Takayama area of Nara Prefecture in Japan by Kubo Studio. This artisan whisk-making workshop’s history spans 24 generations. Under the guidance of Kubo-san, each chasen is handmade by skilled craftspeople using only traditional tools. The bamboo of this particular whisk is from a species known as black bamboo, which gradually changes color after 2 to 3 years. This not only lends the whisk a unique character but is a testament to our patience and determination to source only the best resources involved in every step of your matcha ritual.
Tools from artisan workshops and curated ceramics are treasured items that add ceremony to the preparation of your daily matcha. Whether you are sipping alone or sharing your ritual with loved ones, elevating the experience is a wonderful act of self-care and service.