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The Tea Ceremony

Artist
KIHO, Takagi

Artist Dates
1957 -

Nationality
Japan

Materials
Copper, Gold

Dimensions
1.5 in.

Commentary
The tea ceremony (chanoyu or chado) is a highly structured ritual for preparing tea in the company of guests, a unique expression of Japanese sensitivity to nature, religion, and art. The ceremony involves meditative appreciation of the beauty and subtleties of Zen teachings, landscaped gardens, ceramics, lacquer, flower arrangement, and scroll paintings that blend calligraphy, poetry, and art - all with special focus on the tea utensils themselves. In this superb netsuke the artist brings to mind three celebrated figures from Japan's 16th century history, who are closely related to the tea ceremony and to each other. Hideyoshi (1537-1598), the military warlord who conquered and unified Japan and established a new feudal hierarchy, was a devotee of the tea ceremony and treasured ostentatious tea ceremony utensils. He was a long time patron of Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), a celebrated tea master who elevated the ritual to an art and whose strong preference was for tasteful use of simple, rustic, everyday utensils for the ceremony. (Despite their close relationship, Hideyoshi eventually ordered Rikyu to commit ritual suicide, an order with which Rikyu complied). Yojiro Tsuji was a master craftsman of teakettles for the tea ceremony whose works were greatly admired by Hideyoshi and Rikyu. In this netsuke the artist has portrayed a simple, rustic teakettle by Yojiro Tsuji of the type that would have been used by Rikyu. Inside the netsuke are the ostentatious, pure gold utensils of the type that Hideyoshi preferred.

	Artist	KIHO, Takagi
	Artist Dates	1957 -
	Nationality	Japan
	Materials	Copper, Gold
	Dimensions	1.5 in.
	Commentary	The tea ceremony (chanoyu or chado) is a highly structured ritual for preparing tea in the company of guests, a unique expression of Japanese sensitivity to nature, religion, and art. The ceremony involves meditative appreciation of the beauty and subtleties of Zen teachings, landscaped gardens, ceramics, lacquer, flower arrangement, and scroll paintings that blend calligraphy, poetry, and art - all with special focus on the tea utensils themselves. In this superb netsuke the artist brings to mind three celebrated figures from Japan's 16th century history, who are closely related to the tea ceremony and to each other. Hideyoshi (1537-1598), the military warlord who conquered and unified Japan and established a new feudal hierarchy, was a devotee of the tea ceremony and treasured ostentatious tea ceremony utensils. He was a long time patron of Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), a celebrated tea master who elevated the ritual to an art and whose strong preference was for tasteful use of simple, rustic, everyday utensils for the ceremony. (Despite their close relationship, Hideyoshi eventually ordered Rikyu to commit ritual suicide, an order with which Rikyu complied). Yojiro Tsuji was a master craftsman of teakettles for the tea ceremony whose works were greatly admired by Hideyoshi and Rikyu. In this netsuke the artist has portrayed a simple, rustic teakettle by Yojiro Tsuji of the type that would have been used by Rikyu. Inside the netsuke are the ostentatious, pure gold utensils of the type that Hideyoshi preferred.