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Rating: 
Summary: Revealing Chinese Influence on Japanese Art through Tea
Review: Breaking new ground while covering subjects others have glossed over,
this engaging book clarifies influences of sencha tea enthusiasts on
Japanese art. As the author unravels the historical conditions and
cultural factors related to tea aesthetics, the reader recognizes how
competing influences affected the consumption of art for elite tea
connoisseurs. These aesthetics eventually drew interest from a
broader public.The presently more popular _chanoyu_
"whisked" tea ceremony has received much more focus than
sencha tea ceremony and practices in Western publications. With
Chinese symbolism so commonly found among Japanese art objects,
however, it would be hard to understand the quiet taste of chanoyu
fully informing the creators of Japanese artifacts-- especially since
the Edo period. Graham's book resolves that puzzle. Ostensibly the
book is about _sencha_ "steeped" tea and its various roles
for the artistic elite of Japan since its introduction from China.
More importantly, the author captures the artistic environment of
Japan since the early Edo period. The book offers a context against
which all Japanese arts can be gauged. At times, Japanese art has
leaned toward interest in elite Chinese culture and at other times has
purposively rejected that influence. This book explains that ebb and
flow capturing not only sencha tea's influence but also the
neo-Confucian influences introduced by the Tokugawa shogunate and
enlarged by often-iconoclastic Japanese literati. The book might be
compared to Clunas's _Superfluous Things_ text on Chinese Ming taste.
Both offer extraordinary insight to understanding Asian art by looking
from a perspective that has seldom been studied in detail. Graham is
not the first to speak of sencha tea as promoted by the Obaku sect of
Zen monks and by _bunjincha_ literati as influential to Japanese art.
She is the first to deeply explore it, put it in perspective and to
not discount its continuing influence. As an aside to the book's
focus on tea aesthetics, it offer considerable insight to other
Japanese arts by sharing information on sencha tea enthusiasts who
have made hugely significant contributions. Ishikawa Jozan
(1583-1672), the monk Ingen (1592-1673) and the literati artist Rai
San'yo (1780-1832) are among these. Each reader will uncover for
himself individuals who may be known by other arts but were informed
in sharing sencha tea with their coterie of friends. Other authors
have discussed sencha tea enthusiasts' influence on Japanese art.
Stephen Addiss's insightful book _The Art of Zen_ describes several
Obaku monks' influence on Japanese painting in extraordinary
detail. Katie Jones, Brian Harkins & Paul Moss (international art
dealers based in London) have published catalogs commenting on
distinctive art objects chosen by _bunjincha_ (Japanese literati who
practiced sencha tea-- especially in the 18th and 19th centuries).
They note objects that often express the Chinese sage's taste for
communion with nature. Sencha tea is discussed in the PLW Arts' book
_Tetsubin_ as many of these iron kettles were produced as sencha tea
utensils. For a broad understanding sencha tea's influence, however,
Graham's book leads the field. Of the several chanoyu (vs. sencha
tea) books available on Japanese tea aesthetic, I would recommend Sen
Soshitsu's. They include _Chado: The Japanese Way of Tea_, _The
Japanese Way of Tea: From Its Origins in China to Sen Rikyu_,
_Chanoyu: The Urasenke Tradition of Tea_ and _Tea Life, Tea
Mind_. These are each well constructed and offer separate insights.
The overview of tea history in _Chado_ is a jewel in concisely
expressing chanoyu aesthetics, but in devoting over 60% of the book to
the detailed ritual steps of modern Urasenke practice, it may not be
your "cuppa'." The less popular (by Amazon.com sales
figures) _The Japanese Way of Tea_ is Shoshitsu's closest equivalent
to Graham's book in expressing the contributions of tea to Japanese
culture. Its chapters on Murata Juko, Takeno Joo & Sen Rikyu are
easily worth the book's price, and early tea history information is
detailed. _Chanoyu_ is a little more expensive but offers an
introduction to tea utensils with great photos that makes it warmly
appealing. _Tea Life, Tea Mind_ required bursting many of its pages
that had not been fully separated at their top by the publisher. It
offers a brief introduction to chanoyu tea aesthetics.
Rating:
Summary: Revealing Chinese Influence on Japanese Art through Tea
Review: Breaking new ground while covering subjects others have glossed over,
this engaging book clarifies influences of sencha tea enthusiasts on
Japanese art. As the author unravels the historical conditions and
cultural factors related to tea aesthetics, the reader recognizes how
competing influences affected the consumption of art for elite tea
connoisseurs. These aesthetics eventually drew interest from a
broader public. The presently more popular _chanoyu_
"whisked" tea ceremony has received much more focus than
sencha tea ceremony and practices in Western publications. With
Chinese symbolism so commonly found among Japanese art objects,
however, it would be hard to understand the quiet taste of chanoyu
fully informing the creators of Japanese artifacts-- especially since
the Edo period. Graham's book resolves that puzzle. Ostensibly the
book is about _sencha_ "steeped" tea and its various roles
for the artistic elite of Japan since its introduction from China.
More importantly, the author captures the artistic environment of
Japan since the early Edo period. The book offers a context against
which all Japanese arts can be gauged. At times, Japanese art has
leaned toward interest in elite Chinese culture and at other times has
purposively rejected that influence. This book explains that ebb and
flow capturing not only sencha tea's influence but also the
neo-Confucian influences introduced by the Tokugawa shogunate and
enlarged by often-iconoclastic Japanese literati. The book might be
compared to Clunas's _Superfluous Things_ text on Chinese Ming taste.
Both offer extraordinary insight to understanding Asian art by looking
from a perspective that has seldom been studied in detail. Graham is
not the first to speak of sencha tea as promoted by the Obaku sect of
Zen monks and by _bunjincha_ literati as influential to Japanese art.
She is the first to deeply explore it, put it in perspective and to
not discount its continuing influence. As an aside to the book's
focus on tea aesthetics, it offer considerable insight to other
Japanese arts by sharing information on sencha tea enthusiasts who
have made hugely significant contributions. Ishikawa Jozan
(1583-1672), the monk Ingen (1592-1673) and the literati artist Rai
San'yo (1780-1832) are among these. Each reader will uncover for
himself individuals who may be known by other arts but were informed
in sharing sencha tea with their coterie of friends. Other authors
have discussed sencha tea enthusiasts' influence on Japanese art.
Stephen Addiss's insightful book _The Art of Zen_ describes several
Obaku monks' influence on Japanese painting in extraordinary
detail. Katie Jones, Brian Harkins & Paul Moss (international art
dealers based in London) have published catalogs commenting on
distinctive art objects chosen by _bunjincha_ (Japanese literati who
practiced sencha tea-- especially in the 18th and 19th centuries).
They note objects that often express the Chinese sage's taste for
communion with nature. Sencha tea is discussed in the PLW Arts' book
_Tetsubin_ as many of these iron kettles were produced as sencha tea
utensils. For a broad understanding sencha tea's influence, however,
Graham's book leads the field. Of the several chanoyu (vs. sencha
tea) books available on Japanese tea aesthetic, I would recommend Sen
Soshitsu's. They include _Chado: The Japanese Way of Tea_, _The
Japanese Way of Tea: From Its Origins in China to Sen Rikyu_,
_Chanoyu: The Urasenke Tradition of Tea_ and _Tea Life, Tea
Mind_. These are each well constructed and offer separate insights.
The overview of tea history in _Chado_ is a jewel in concisely
expressing chanoyu aesthetics, but in devoting over 60% of the book to
the detailed ritual steps of modern Urasenke practice, it may not be
your "cuppa'." The less popular (by Amazon.com sales
figures) _The Japanese Way of Tea_ is Shoshitsu's closest equivalent
to Graham's book in expressing the contributions of tea to Japanese
culture. Its chapters on Murata Juko, Takeno Joo & Sen Rikyu are
easily worth the book's price, and early tea history information is
detailed. _Chanoyu_ is a little more expensive but offers an
introduction to tea utensils with great photos that makes it warmly
appealing. _Tea Life, Tea Mind_ required bursting many of its pages
that had not been fully separated at their top by the publisher. It
offers a brief introduction to chanoyu tea aesthetics.
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