Japanese Tea Ceremony Ceramics

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Japanese Tea Ceremony Ceramics

There are various objects needed to conduct a tea ceremony. Most important among them are ceramics: the tea-caddy, the tea bowl, the flower vase, the incense burner, the incense container, the water jar, the ladle rest, the rest for the cover of the jar, the ash container, the cake bowl, the plate to place charcoal brazier, and candle-holders and other paraphernalia for decoration and atmosphere. Furthermore, such utensils used in the light dinner served before the tea rite called the kaiseki, food dishes and bowls, wine bottles and wine cups are to be numbered, the majority of implements for use in the tea-ceremony are pieces of ceramics.

These "tea-ceremony ceramics" of various kinds contain pieces from different places of production. There are Chinese pieces, Korean works. Japanese products, enameled wares from south Asia such as Java, Sumatra, Burma and India, Annamese, Siamese, products of southeast Asia, and European pieces brought by Dutch traders. Various combinations of these ceramic pieces are devised at each tea-ceremony. They are responsible in creating the suitable aesthetic atmosphere of the tea ritual. The visual entertainment of the tea-ceremony is chiefly derived from ceramics. Refined simplicity, rusticity, austerity, and naturalness-in sum, an aesthetic quality of wabi - are traditional hallmarks of the utensils featured in the tea ceremony.

Chanoyu (Tea Ceremony) seeks to embody a particular kind of beauty; wabi. The following are the aesthetic consciousness comprising the aspects of wabi; simple, unpretentious beauty, imperfect irregular beauty, austere, stark cold beauty, naturalness including innocence, elegance, unworldliness and unconditional freedom, and calm and...

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...manifested also in architecture, garden-designing and other field of art for this provides not only an opportunity for discussion on the aesthetic qualities of the ceramic ware but also on its provenance. Of prime importance is the appearance of the object they handle, such as caddy, bowl, and spoon, which the guests are privileged to examine closely after tea is served as well as the incense holder. All the objects used during the tea ceremony are carefully selected by the host after a deep study of his treasures. Caddy, bowl, and spoon are highly important articles in Chanoyu and maybe valued treasure that the host is very proud of. Indifference is a deadly sin, and the host will be greatly disappointed if his guests fail to take interest in anything shown, or are incapable of appreciating his thoughtfulness in arranging the smallest details of the entertainment.

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