What is a tea bowl used for?

Tea bowls are vessels with no handles that are used for preparing and drinking tea. Early tea drinkers enjoyed their beverage in a bowl, and English potters eventually added a handle to the porcelain bowls so that burning your fingers became less of a teatime hazard. With the rise in the popularity of teatime, tea sets, also referred to as tea service, became a hot commodity. Today, tea bowls form a crucial part of East Asian tea ceremonies. Find a collection of antique and vintage tea bowls on 1stDibs today.