30th Year Reflection: Dr. Genshitsu Sen, Daisosho About Raku

A reflection on this my 30th year as a practitioner / student of Chado Urasenke.


The recent exhibition of Raku chadogu at the Los Angeles Museum of Art attracted many dignitaries, particularly Dr. Genshitsu Sen XV, retired o-Iemoto of Chado Urasenke. At his generous presentation of kencha, koicha and a lecture, he reminisced about how Raku was important in his initiation in Chado and as the wakasosho of his lineage.

At age 6 years, 6 months and 6 days it is customary for him to begin his formal training under the tutelage of his father, Tantansai, Sen XIV. At that time he was given a chawan made for him by Seinyu, Raku XIII created for that initiatory experience toward becoming the grand master of Urasenke. Subsequently, he was given chawan of Hagi and Karatsu kilns, the other great historical sources of Japanese ceramics. He learned the names of all the Raku grand masters as a young man. 

He stated that the word "Raku" implies fun, a modern / progressive design. He learned how to make chawan in the workshop of Kakunyu, Raku XIV and was taught that a chawan is a living thing, like a prayer, when one puts palms together. "There is "amazing electricity" that comes from touching a Raku bowl.

In addition to his personal impressions about the gathering, he delivered a speech emphasizing "Tradition and Transmission" of Wisdom, being the heart of his remarks. He stated that kencha is rather more the "ceremony". Our purpose is for host and guest(s) to be "one in spirit", united through the chawan itself.

This being my 30th year as a student of Chado Urasenke, and having heard his maxim, "Peace through a bowl of tea" many times, I must congratulate Dr. Sen for having the integrity to sustain his vision. Not only was he generous in making this practice accessible to so many people around the world, it is clear that he has indeed committed his life to this "simple" promise. It has proven to me to be a very reasonable path in greatly human terms.

My own sensei, Sosei Matsumoto, is a long time friend of the Sen Family and a truly devoted practitioner. I also owe here great thanks for taking me on as a student in 1985, for encouraging my attending Midorikai in Kyoto as a guest student (1987, 1989 and 1991) and for her dear friendship and support in the tea community of Los Angeles and beyond. 

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Here's a little "gift" that seems to have kept on giving from one hand to the next. 

PROVENANCE

Baron Denzaburo Fujita (1841-1912).

Duke Motonori Mori (1839-1896).

A 'JIAN' SILVER 'HARE'S FUR' 'TEMMOKU' TEA BOWL

SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY

Estimate 80,000 — 100,000 USD

LOT SOLD. 100,000 USD (Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium)

Sotheby's (New York) “CHINESE ART THROUGH THE EYE OF SAKAMOTO GORŌ: SONG CERAMICS”

16 SEPTEMBER 2014 | 10:00 AM EDT

A 'JIAN' SILVER 'HARE'S FUR' 'TEMMOKU' TEA BOWL

SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY

The robustly potted body with deep rounded sides rising from a short straight foot to an indented rim, covered overall with a lustrous dark blackish-blue glaze suffused on the interior with numerous scattered small silvery flecks, the exterior covered with radiating iridescent silvery-blue striations, the glossy glaze falling short of the foot in a neat lustrous black bulge above the dark purple-brown body, the rim metal-bound, Japanese wood box

 Diameter 4 7/8  in., 12.6 cm

CONDITION

There has been old restoration to chips along the interior rim under the metal mount and another 1/4 inch (6cm) restored chip on the opposite side of the rim. The exterior with consolidation to some of the glaze crackles.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.

 

CATALOGUE NOTE

The present bowl represents the classic form of tea ware produced at the kilns in Jianyang in Fujian province, and is particularly notable for its silver ‘hare’s fur’ markings. Bowls of this type, include one from the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, included in the Museum’s exhibition Hare’s Fur, Tortoiseshell and Partridge Feathers, Harvard University Art Museums, Cambridge, 1995, cat. no. 79; another, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (II), Hong Kong, 1996, pl. 204; and a third bowl from the Sir David Percival Collection and now in the British Museum, London, published in Oriental Ceramics. The World’s Great Collections, vol. 6, Tokyo, 1982, pl. 44.

Tea bowls of this type were renowned for their unique suitability for drinking tea as the fine foam of the whisked powdered tea contrasted attractively with the dark glaze of the vessel. The thickness of the glaze also helped keep the tea warm while protecting the hands of the drinker from the hot beverage. Furthermore, the concave indentation below the rim of the bowl allows a firm grip and is said to cause the drinker to consume the tea in small sips, which is important for the full appreciation and enjoyment of tea. From literature it is known that the best quality Jian bowls were carefully selected as tribute from Fujian to the court. Jian bowls were also taken to Japan by Buddhist monks who spent time in Chinese monasteries. ‘Temmoku’ is the Japanese pronounciation of 'Tianmu', a mountain in Zhejiang, north of Jianyang, where monastic communities favored the use of Jian bowls for tea drinking. Tea consumption was an established practice in Buddhist monasteries as tea was prized as a stimulant in assisting Buddhist monks in their meditation. For an extensive study on the history of Jian ware and their transportation to Japan, see Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere, ‘Defining Temmoku: Jian Ware Tea Bowls Imported into Japan’, Hare’s Fur, Tortoiseshell, and Partridge Feathers, Cambridge, 1995, pp. 43-58.    

Report courtesy of Sotheby's http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/sakamoto-goro-ceramics-n09189/lot.5.html