Guest JBaymore Posted October 27, 2011 Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 CHAWAN 茶碗 An International Exhibition Opening reception: October 30, 2011 1-4 PM Gorse Mill Gallery 31 Thorpe Road Needham, MA 02494 781- 449-7687 http://www.gorsemillstudios.com/ ... Listing of Invited Exhibiting Artists: USA John Baymore Steven Branfman Kevin Crowe Rob Fornell Chris Gustin Rick Hirsch Dick Lehman Karen Mahoney Richard Milgrim Jeff Oestriech Phil Pollett Jim Romberg Sarah Whitlock AUSTRIA Kurt Spurey BELGIUM Moniek Camerlynck Eric Franchimont Gerda Genijn Els Janssens Roos Loeckx Fien Monsieur Kari Peeters Chris Prinsen Lea Sinneave Leen Schelfthout Lou Smedts Ria De Troch Anne Vanderstraeten Marthe Vanhoutte Griet Werbrouck CANADA Carol Ann Michaelson CROATIA Svjetlan Junakovic Sandra Mihaljevic Danijela Pesut Branko Supica CZECH REPUBLIC Jirà Duchek FRANCE Rozenn Bigot Tom Charbit Dalloun PHILIPPINES Hadrian Mendoza TAIWAN Chang Kuei Wei 茶碗 Chawan A Chawan is a bowl used for preparing and drinking powdered green tea, called matcha, in the Japanese Tea Ceremony known as Chado, or “The Way of Teaâ€. There are many types of Chawan used in tea ceremony, and the choice of bowl depends upon many considerations including the particular guests to be served, the other teaware objects used, the season of the year, the time of day, and the formality of the ceremony. The history of the tea ceremony With its actual origins lost in legend, the custom of drinking tea prepared from the steeping of leaves, first for medicinal and then for purely pleasurable reasons, was already widespread throughout China by the Tang Dynasty. By the early 9th century, Chinese author Lu Yu wrote the Ch’a Ching, a treatise on tea focusing on its cultivation and preparation. Lu Yu’s life had been heavily influenced by Buddhism, particularly the school that later became known in Japan as Zen, and his ideas had a strong influence in the early development of the Japanese tea ceremony. Though it is not native to the country, the drinking of steeped tea was then introduced into Japan in 806 by the Shingon Buddhist monk KÅ«kai who had traveled to Tang China. Tea drinking soon became popular with the aristocracy in Japan, and in the year 816 C.E., tea plants began to be cultivated there by Imperial decree. In the early 12th century, a new form of preparing tea, using whisked powdered matcha, was introduced into Japan by the Rinzai Zen priest Eisai returning from studies in China. This powdered green tea, which derives from the same plant as black tea but is steamed instead of fermented, was first used during religious rituals in Buddhist monasteries. By the war-torn and turbulent 13th century, upper-class samurai warriors had embraced the formal preparation and drinking of matcha, first as a display of wealth and power, and later as an oasis of calm amidst the increasing carnage. From this evolving practice the foundations of the formal Tea Ceremony were laid. Tea Ceremony developed as a “transformative practice,†and began to evolve its own aesthetic, incorporating in particular the way of “wabi†meaning quiet or sober refinement, or subdued taste. The wabi-style of tea is characterized by humility, restraint, simplicity, naturalism, profundity, imperfection, and asymmetry. It emphasizes simple, unadorned objects and architectural spaces, and celebrates mellow beauty that passing time and constant use and care impart to materials. By the 16th century, tea drinking had spread to most all levels of society in Japan. ichi-go ichi-e 和敬清寂 Sen no Rikyu, perhaps the most well-known and still revered historical figure in Tea Ceremony, introduced the concept of “ichi-go ichi-eâ€, literally “one time, one meetingâ€, a belief that each Tea Ceremony should be treasured, for it can never be reproduced. This introspective philosophy was a product of the perilous times in which people then lived. His other teachings led to the development of new forms in tea architecture and gardens, fine and applied arts, and to the further development of Chado. The core principles he set forward, harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility, are still central to contemporary Tea Ceremony. Today, young Japanese potters and tea devotees are searching for new ways to interpret and further develop this ancient tradition for a new audience. Potters from around the world are also touched by the world of Chado, and explore their interpretations of the noble teacup, called Chawan, that you see here today. (This historical account compiled by Lou Smedts with portions excerpted from Wikipedia.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.