to refer to vessels which have a slightly convex top and body that gradually narrows toward the base, but in practice any usucha-ki may be referred to as a natsume. Since natsume are used for thin tea, they are the first chaki that a tea student learns to use. History A lacquer artist named Haneda Gorō, who lived in the era of Higashiyama culture and did lacquer work for Ashikaga Yoshimasa, is credited as the originator of this style of container for powdered tea which at first, as a rule, was black-lacquered. Records of tea gatherings held by Sen no Rikyū reveal that he used natsume, and that in his day natsume were used for koicha (thick tea). Types The basic type is the "Rikyū shape" ( Rikyū-gata), which comes in three sizes: large ( ō-natsume), medium ( chū-natsume), and small ( ko-natsume). With the orthodox Rikyū-gata natsume, typically finished in plain black lacquer inside and out, the lid fits onto the body at about 7/10 the distance up from the base. There is tremendous variation among the other different types and sizes of natsume, however. For example, the diameter of the flat type ( hira-natsume) generally is about twice the dimension of the vessel's height. Koma (独楽) is the name for a spinning top. Originally from southeast Asia, it also became a popular motif. It can be categorised as a shimamono. Chaire {{quote|The most important pottery of the Cha-no-yu is first the Cha-ire and then the Cha-wan. It is said that among the military class the most precious possessions were first Tea-caddies, second writings and third swords. For this was the order in which they were presented by the Shogun to one he desired to honour.|A. L. Sadler.<ref name=Sadler1>Sadler, A. L. Cha-No-Yu: The Japanese Tea Ceremony. Tokyo: Tuttle, 1962, 66.</ref>}} The term chaire generally refers to a relatively small ceramic jar with a lid, used to hold the tea powder for use in making thick tea (koicha). The lid is traditionally made from elephant ivory with a gold leafed underside, though today lids are usually created from other materials made to resemble ivory. History According to Sadler, chaire were originally used in China in the Song period as bottles for oil or medicine, and were imported into Japan for use as tea caddies up to the end of the Ashikaga or start of the Tokugawa period. Types Chaire can