Wide-mouthed bowls were used for consuming whipped tea such as that imbibed during the tea ceremony. Karatsu ware like this was among the most prized of such tea bowls. The port city of Karatsu in Saga prefecture in Kyushu was known for its kilns that produced high-fired, Korean-style glazed pottery. The Japanese ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea in 1592 and 1597, returning with families of Korean potters as spoils of war. This region was one of the sites where these potters were resettled.