"A
Japanese Tea Ceremony".......For
me, the Japanese Tea Ceremony conveys many emotions of harmony and tranquillity.
However two other aspects are of equal importance. Respect and Purity. To
become captivated by all the gestures, the care to detail, the decoration and
though is an exhilarating experience. The most important thing for me is the
role of ceramics in the Tea Ceremony. Without ceramics the Tea Ceremony would
not exist and this would effect a large part of Japanese culture.
I studied "The Tea Ceremony with Watanabe sensei in Tokoname. It's called
Matsuo-ryu. It is originally from Nagoya and is very different to other schools
such as Urasenke and Omotesenke. I once participated in a Tea Ceremony at a
temple in Kyoto. It was of the Urasenke School. Only invited guests were
allowed. The temple was near the house of Sen no Rikyu, the inventor of the Tea
Ceremony. It was the only time I experienced a Tea ceremony with a priest. I
have demonstrated the Tea Ceremony in India, Spain, France and Japan to much
enjoyment of those that participated.
"Demonstration of Tea Bowls"..............What
makes a Tea Bowl a Tea Bowl? Importance of Nature in imagery. Function and
fundamentals of form. Height and form, relationship to use, importance of the
footring. Nuances that are a key part in design. But I must say that many young
people are against the rituals, the hierarchy and many more things that are
outdated and from an age long dead and has nothing to do with modern life. However,
the importance of the bowl for the Tea Ceremony can teach us many things thus
allowing us to go deeper into Japan that is buried under "anime" enka
"karaoke" Pachinko "and other manifestations of contemporary
Japanese culture.
