Not merely a showpiece, despite all of its obvious beauty and delicate wonder, the antique Japanese tea set is a critical part of Japanese culture, due to the tradition of the tea ceremony that is still practiced at various functions.

While there are many, many components that can make up a ‘complete’ antique Japanese tea set, some are quite optional. Others however, play a more active role, and really cannot be replaced or absent. Most notably, two of these pieces are the tea bowl, and tea caddy (also known as chawan and chaire).

Tea bowls in an antique Japanese tea set come in a large number of varieties. Depending on the type of tea that is being served, there is a specific type of tea bowl that suits it. Thus, if you intend to really have a complete antique Japanese tea set, you should have a number of different options for the various types of teas that you may choose to serve guests.

Similarly, tea caddies also can vary in style, though most are thin and tall. Still, some other styles do exist, but they are very often more for decorative purposes.

With these two pieces covered though, you would be well on your way to having a complete antique Japanese tea set. After a little bit of study into the art of the tea ceremony, you could even host your very own… just remember to practice a little first.