Page 370 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868
P. 370

287





                  ten  seen  as a synthesis of the  five  senses.  tea, which broke away from  the  more pre-  typical of Chôjiro's bowls. A dab  of black
                  Often,  small pieces  of incense  are buried  cise, severe Chinese  style that had  held  lacquer has been applied to repair a blem-
                  under the barely lit charcoal  and  release  the fascination of Japanese tea men. In  ish on the  top rim of the  bowl. A slight
                  their  scent  just as the  guests arrive. Thus  1585 Rikyü commissioned  Chôjirô, a tile  tinge of green inside Otogoze offers  proof
                  the guests are greeted  by the lingering  maker for the Jurakudai palace, to create a  of its use.
                  scent  of the incense, before they see the  new type of teabowl according to his strict  Otogoze comes  equipped  with an im-
                  host. The  guest makes his way along the  specifications.               pressive array of protective  boxes. First,
                  tea garden path, washes his hands in the  In contrast  to the wheelthrown  Chi-  the  bowl is wrapped in a cloth  bag  made
                  water basin placed outside the  tearoom,  nese tenmoku bowls (cats. 278, 279), Raku  from  silk crepe. The  inner box is made
                  and symbolically cleanses his  thoughts.  teabowls are hand-modeled, with consider-  from paulownia wood and bears the  name
                  Warriors were asked to leave their swords  ably thicker, straighter walls. Raku bowls  of the bowl in the handwriting of the
                  outside the tearoom  door. The  use of in-  are usually covered  with either  a somber  seventh-generation Hosokawa. Paulownia
                  cense can be traced  to Buddhist ceremo-  black or red glaze. Unlike tenmoku bowls,  wood is almost religiously used to  store
                  nies. Although  the ritualistic,  religious use  Raku bowls were meant to be placed di-  precious tea utensils. It is valued for its ap-
                  of incense  has since been combined  with  rectly on the  mat, rather than  on a stand.  parent resistance to fire and humidity. In
                  the purely pleasurable, incense  still con-  For this reason  a Raku bowl has a wider,  some areas of Japan it has been the cus-
                  jures up a feeling of otherworldliness  and  more stable foot.          tom to plant a paulownia tree after  the
                  tranquility.                    JIK    Chôjirô, the  founder of the  first gen-  birth of a daughter. When the  daughter is
                                                      eration of Raku potters,  was commis-  ready to marry, the tree has grown large
                  285  Teabowl, named Otogoze         sioned by Hosokawa Sansai (1563-1646) to  enough to provide the  wood for the trous-
                      Raku Chôjirô (1516-1592)        make this teabowl. Rikyu's grandson  Sotan  seau  containers.
                                                                                                                  safely be-
                                                                                             To hold a teabowl cradled
                      h. 8.2 (31/4)                   gave this bowl the name  Otogoze, also the  tween both hands, feeling the lulling
                      Momoyama  period                name of one other bowl by Chôjirô. Oío-
                                                      goze refers to a female, but  not to the  frail,  warmth through  the  thick clay body, is
                      Eisei Bunko, Tokyo              delicate classical type of beauty. On  the  truly a sensual experience.  All the  senses
                      Important Art  Object           contrary, this term  implies the  coarse,  are ignited as one lifts the bowl upward to
                                                      homely features of a woman with a high  the  lips. This is followed by a savoring of
                  It is said that Raku teabowls perfectly cap-  forehead, plump and bulging cheeks, and  the scent and taste of the tea. Unlike the
                  ture the  wabi spirit of Rikyü's (1522-1591)  flat nose. When  viewed from  above and  handle of a western teacup, which dis-
                  style of tea. Rikyü was responsible for in-
                  troducing a native Japanese aesthetic  to  from the  side, the  slight warp of the  une-  tances one from  the immediacy of the
                                                      ven rim is evident. The  dull, matte  glaze is



                                                                                                                         357
   365   366   367   368   369   370   371   372   373   374   375