Art of the Japanese Tea Ceremony
Art of the Japanese Tea Ceremony
Steven Bruno
Art History
April 12, 2012
Photo of a Traditional Japanese Tea House
Okinawa, Japan
Photo of a Traditional Japanese Tea House
Okinawa, Japan The Japanese tea ceremony was derived from the forms of the Zen Buddhist Monks during the 9th century. Shortly after being introduced by the Chinese, the serving of tea to honored guests quickly became one of the greatest status symbols of the time. The tea ceremony, known as Chado to the Japanese, literally means “the way of tea”. The ceremony involves tea, but so much more, and it is essentially to create a moment of serenity for the guests. Watching the ceremony they would see a simple and smooth performance of the Teishu, what the Japanese would call the server of the tea. However, from behind the curtain the tea ceremony is very precise in every movement, taking years of practice to master the performance. Through the valued attention to detail throughout the ceremony, the Japanese believe the guests are able to enter an intimate moment of serenity while enjoying the comfort of drinking tea. Involving both the mind and the body Zen Buddhists turned such a simple event into an elegant art, which has been a part of the Japanese culture ever since.
In the beginning of the 12th century, the monk Eisai traveled to China to further study the Zen forms. He returned the first Zen master of Japan, brining with him finer quality tea seeds, which he introduced to the Zen Buddhists. Tea had been used in china for centuries so that monks could remain awake during meditation. He also returned with one of the key elements that would be used in the tea ceremony. With particular tools and technique the green tea leaves could be made into a powder, known as Matcha, which was then whisked in a bowl with hot water. This process made a finer tea then soaking the ground leaves.
Buddhist monks of this time believed heavily in paying complete attention to the tasks they were
Steven Bruno
Art History
April 12, 2012
Photo of a Traditional Japanese Tea House
Okinawa, Japan
Photo of a Traditional Japanese Tea House
Okinawa, Japan The Japanese tea ceremony was derived from the forms of the Zen Buddhist Monks during the 9th century. Shortly after being introduced by the Chinese, the serving of tea to honored guests quickly became one of the greatest status symbols of the time. The tea ceremony, known as Chado to the Japanese, literally means “the way of tea”. The ceremony involves tea, but so much more, and it is essentially to create a moment of serenity for the guests. Watching the ceremony they would see a simple and smooth performance of the Teishu, what the Japanese would call the server of the tea. However, from behind the curtain the tea ceremony is very precise in every movement, taking years of practice to master the performance. Through the valued attention to detail throughout the ceremony, the Japanese believe the guests are able to enter an intimate moment of serenity while enjoying the comfort of drinking tea. Involving both the mind and the body Zen Buddhists turned such a simple event into an elegant art, which has been a part of the Japanese culture ever since.
In the beginning of the 12th century, the monk Eisai traveled to China to further study the Zen forms. He returned the first Zen master of Japan, brining with him finer quality tea seeds, which he introduced to the Zen Buddhists. Tea had been used in china for centuries so that monks could remain awake during meditation. He also returned with one of the key elements that would be used in the tea ceremony. With particular tools and technique the green tea leaves could be made into a powder, known as Matcha, which was then whisked in a bowl with hot water. This process made a finer tea then soaking the ground leaves.
Buddhist monks of this time believed heavily in paying complete attention to the tasks they were
References: Cooper, David. "The Art of the Japanese Tea Ceremony." Wild Heart Journal (2008). Haslam, Malcom. "The Pursuit of Imperfection: The Appreciation of Japanese Tea Ceremony Ceramics and the Beginning of the Studio-Pottery Movement in Britain." Journal of the Decorative Arts Society 28 (2004): 148-71. Lee, Sherman E. "Some Japanese Tea Taste Ceramics." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 60.9 (1993): 267-78. Lerner, Martin. "Tea Ceremony Pottery and Export Porcelain." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 54.9 (1997): 267-92. Rowland Mori, Barbara L. "The Tea Ceremony: A Transformed Japanese Ritual." Gender and Society 5.1 (1991): 86-97.