Tea Ceremony
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Tea Bowl, Named "Kimura", Joseon dynasty, 16th–17th century (Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 4
May 16, 2023 (Tue) - August 6, 2023 (Sun)Tea drinking and its role in society changed over time. In the 12th century, Zen monks introduced a new kind of tea drinking from China: green tea was ground into a powder and mixed with hot water. Monks drank this tea as a medicine and to stay awake during meditation.
Before long, the samurai also began to drink tea and competed for prizes in blind tasting competitions. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the elite samurai who ruled Japan focused on the aesthetics of tea drinking. They collected valuable Chinese works like paintings and tea bowls, displaying and using them during tea gatherings.
A century later, Sen no Rikyū (1522–91) established the foundations of the tea ceremony. When serving tea, he used valuable Chinese works together with simple utensils. He also stressed humility and the beauty of imperfection. Elite samurai practiced his style and its variations as a social, aesthetic, and spiritual pursuit.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Tea Bowl, Named "Kimura" | Korea | Joseon dynasty, 16th–17th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, TG-2705 | |||
| Highlight | Container for Thick Tea, Named "Konoma" | Seto ware | Edo period, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, G-5366 | |||
| Tea Scoop, Named "Kame (Turtle)" | By Sugiki Fusai (1628–1706), Previously owned by Hara Tomitarō | Edo period, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, G-5379 | ||||
| Highlight | Tea Bowl | Karatsu ware, Seto-Karatsu type | Edo period, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Matsunaga Yasuzaemon, G-4834 | |||
| Writings on the Tea Ceremony | By Hosokawa Sansai (1563-1646) | Edo period, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Kanaya Hiroshi, B-3344 | On exhibit from June 27, 2023 |