Page 367 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

282

rectly influenced tea preparation in the 279 Teabowl and Chinese utensils that would comple-
Japanese tea ceremony. The Kenninji h. 4.5 (13/4) ment each other.
gathering tries to recreate tea drinking as Southern Song Hosokawa Yüsai (1534-1610), father of
it was practiced in Zen temples after Eisei Bunko, Tokyo Sansai (1563-1646), was not only a re-
Eisai's time during the fourteenth century. nowned warrior like his son, but is espe-
Tenmoku bowls on stands are distributed The distinguishing feature of this Chinese cially remembered for his great literary
to each of the guests sitting in the main tenmoku bowl is the leaf design in the bot- accomplishments. He extensively studied
temple hall. A monk carries a bronze tom and along the side of the bowl, in- the composition of thirty-one-syllable po-
pitcher with a long, slender nozzle, which tended to be discovered after the tea had ems (wakd) and wrote a poem pertaining to
provides a tip on which a small bamboo been finished. "Konoha" literally means the warrior and his training in all fields:
tea whisk rests. After removing the tea tree leaf, and describes a special technique "Of those who dislike poetry, linked verse,
whisk, the monk then pours hot water into reserved for tenmoku bowls made with this dance and tea, the limitation of their up-
the already tea-filled tenmoku bowl and characteristic. This bowl, made in Kiangsi bringing is plainly obvious." However, like
proceeds to whisk the brew. He serves Province and imported into Japan, has a the delicate balance sought between Chi-
each guest in turn, in this same manner. disturbing yet romantic charm. It is almost nese and Japanese wares, a daimyo had to
During the fourteenth and fifteenth as if a solitary leaf, swept up by autumn juggle his role as warrior and tea connois-
centuries, the Ashikaga shogun prized ten- breezes, came to gently rest in the bowl seur. Known as a skilled tea person, Sansai
moku bowls for their foreign import ap- just moments before firing. The outline of never permitted his artistic calling to over-
peal, and included them in many of the the veins in the leaf is clearly set off by the shadow his profession as a warrior. When
lists of famous tea utensils and art objects. dark tortoise-shell brown of the glaze. Hotta Masamori (1608-1651), governor of
In later centuries, tenmoku lost much of Leaves with high silica content, such as Kaga Province, requested that Sansai dis-
its appeal as the growth of native Japanese the horse chestnut, are considered the play his famous collection of utensils, San-
wares was actively encouraged, and as a best kind to use for this firing effect. sai evidently disappointed him by dis-
mixture of native and Chinese wares came Chinese utensils such as these ten- playing, instead, warrior paraphernalia.
to be used in a harmonious, subdued fash- moku bowls and their stands were an inte- JIK
ion. Finally, during the Edo period the in- gral part of any daimyo's collection. The
terest in the tenmoku bowl was revived by possession of Chinese utensils went hand 280 Teabowl stand
daimyo tea practitioners. The tenmoku in hand with the increased production of lacquer on wood with shell
continued to be used as a ceremonial ware domestic and Korean-made tea utensils. diam. 16.4 (6 A)
1
for offerings made to the gods and Bud- Murata Shukô (1423-1502), known as one Ming
dhas. In addition, it came to symbolize the of the early proponents of native Japanese
type of bowl for serving a nobleman or tea, never advised completely forsaking Eisei Bunko, Tokyo
someone of high rank at a tea gathering. Chinese wares for domestic ones. He sug- Tenmoku teabowl stands were imported
In this instance, the elaborate tenmoku gested that tea practitioners should assem- along with tenmoku bowls from China to
stand, in some tea schools, was occasion- ble a harmonious grouping of Japanese be used as supports for the narrow-footed
ally replaced by a plain wood stand, which bowls (cats. 278, 279). The stand itself was
was used only once and then discarded. JIK

354