Tea Ceremony
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Flower Vase, Named "Ikkyoku", Attributed to Sen no Rikyū, Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century (Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 4
July 17, 2024 (Wed) - October 6, 2024 (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 | "Do No Evil, Cultivate Good" | By Dairin Sōtō (1480–1568) | Muromachi period, 16th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, B-2901 | On exhibit through August 25, 2024 | ||
| Highlight | Water Jar with Flowering Plants | Longquan ware, China | Ming dynasty, 15th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, TG-2514 | |||
| Tea Bowl, Named "Kimura" | Korea | Joseon dynasty, 16th–17th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, TG-2705 | ||||
| Highlight | Tea Bowl, Named "Toki Ido" | Korea | Joseon dynasty, 16th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, TG-2710 | |||
| Important Cultural Property | Flower Vase in the Shape of a "Cong" Ritual Vessel | Guan ware, China, Passed down by the Owari Tokugawa clan | Southern Song dynasty, 12th–13th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, TG-2167 | |||
| Highlight | Flower Vase, Named "Ikkyoku" | Attributed to Sen no Rikyū (1522–91) | Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, G-5382 | |||
| Tea Scoop, Named "Kame (Turtle)" | By Sugiki Fusai (1628–1706), Previously owned by Hara Sankei | Edo period, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, G-5379 | ||||
| Pail-Shaped Tea Container with Lotuses and Herons | Jingdezhen ware, China, Passed down by the Kōnoike family | Ming–Qing dynasty, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Hirota Matsushige, TG-2601 |