This is a beautifully crafted vintage Japanese lacquerware tea caddy, traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony for storing koicha (thick matcha). The chaire has a rounded, gently curved form with a smooth reddish-brown lacquer finish, accented by subtle black swirls that give it a natural and refined appearance. The interior is finished in a deep glossy black lacquer, providing both durability and elegance.
While the chaire (茶入) was created for the highly specific role of holding thick tea (濃茶, koicha) in the Japanese tea ceremony, outside of that formal context it can take on other lives. Many people keep vintage chaire simply as decorative objects, appreciating the craftsmanship of lacquerware and the quiet elegance it carries. In this way, it becomes less a tool and more an art piece, often displayed in a tokonoma alcove or cabinet.
Because of its size and fitting lid, it can also serve as a small container for personal treasures, such as jewelry, beads, or keepsakes, or even as a vessel for incense granules or chips, linking it to another traditional Japanese art, kōdō (the Way of Incense). In modern households, some people adapt chaire as containers for fine spices or salts, though this is a more practical and non-traditional use.
Such chaire are cherished in the tea ceremony not only for their functional role but also as objects of aesthetic appreciation, embodying the spirit of wabi-sabi, the beauty of simplicity, imperfection, and natural aging.
Size: 6.5 x 6.5 x 6.5cm
8 x 8 x 11.5cm
