By okakura kakuzo the book of tea is a long essay connecting the role of tea teaism to the artistic and cultural aspects of japanese life. It is not intended for posterity and is therefore ephemeral. This opened the way for okakura to gain a small amount of recognition in. The teamaster, koboriignshiu, himself a daimyo, has left to us these memorable words. Contents 1 okakura tenshin and aesthetic nationalism john clark 39 christian modernity in missionaly discourse from korea 190510 hya eweol ch oi 69 contested objectivities. This modern classic, the book of tea, is essentially an apology for eastern traditions and feelings to the western world not in passionate, oversentimental terms, but with a charm and underlying toughness which clearly indicate some of the enduring differences between the eastern and western mind. The book of tea wikisource, the free online library. The average westerner, in his sleek complacency, will see in the tea ceremony but another instance of the thousand and one oddities which constitute the quaintness and childishness of the east to him. The book of tea by kakuzo okakura is perhaps the best loved of all tea classics available in the english language. The fifteenth century saw japan ennoble it into a religion of aestheticismteaism.
Kakuzo okakura, who was known in america as a scholar, art critic, and curator of chinese and japanese art at the boston museum of fine arts, directed almost his entire adult life toward the preservation and reawakening of the japanese national heritage in art, ethics, social customs, and other areas of life in the face of the westernizing influences that were revolutionizing japan. Okakura is wellknown for his writings in english such as the ideals of the east with special reference to the art of japan london. Kakuzo okakuras the book of tea part 7 boston teawrights. In the book, kakuzo introduces the term teaism and how tea has affected nearly every aspect of japanese culture, thought, and life. The book of tea the illustrated classic edition, p. Okakura kakuzo, february 14, 1862 september 2, 19 also known as okakura tenshin was a japanese scholar who contributed to the development of arts in japan. Written by kakuzo okakura in 1906, this is a tea classic that you will either love or loathe.
The tearoom is made for the tea master, not the teamaster for the tearoom. Next, it considers the rendering of the book of tea back into japanese 1929, 1938, 1956, analyzing the challenges and timeliness of. If you want a complete history of japanese arts, you must wait for another twenty or thirty years. Librivox recording of the book of tea, by okakura kakuzo. In the late19th and early20th centuries, japan underwent a period of modernization.
The book of tea was written by okakura tenshin in the early 20th century. Supposing that danto is rightthat nothing is precluded from being a work of art, provided it is baptized with the right theorywe are still faced with platos questions, o why does art matter. It was first published in 1906, and has since been republished many times. The cup of humanity tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. John murray, 1903 which began with the symbolic manifesto asia. The book of tea was written by okakura kakuzo in the early 20th century.
The book is accessibile to western audiences because kakuzo was taught at a young age to speak english. After traveling to europe and america in 1886 to study western art and art education, he helped found japans first offical art academy, tokyo bijutsu gakko now tokyo. The book of tea, cha no hon by okakura kakuzo 1906 is a long essay linking the role of chado teaism to the aesthetic and cultural aspects of japanese life. The study for the portrait of okakura tenshin showed the. The idea that everyone should have a house of his own is based on an ancient custom of the japanese race, shinto superstition ordaining that every dwelling should be evacuated on the death of its chief occupant.
Kakuzo okakuras 1906 treatise on tea is a fascinating exposition of japanese culture and the countrys relationship to the west kristen treen sat 10 sep 2011 19. Art critic, philosopher, and interpreter of the east to the western world. Okakura tenshin kakuzo 186219 is one of the most interesting figures in. The study for the portrait of okakura tenshin showed the japanese characteristics of get the answers you need, now. The book of tea by kakuzo okakura internet sacred text. Tenshin okakura left the great achievement to the japanese modern art. Okakura exhibits the distinctive personality of the east through the philosophy of. Outside japan, he is chiefly remembered today as the author of the book of tea. Japanese tea ceremony, social life and customs, tea, philosophy, chado, fiction. Okakura tried to enlighten the western world about japan, its past, present, and future. Thus they sought to regulate their daily life by the high standard of refinement which obtained in the tearoom. Its considered one of the classics of tea culture and has held a wide influence for more than a century. In his essay, okakura addresses us the western audience and discusses the role of tea in japanese culture. Okakura tenshin and his circle describes the efforts of art theorist and educator okakura tenshin 186219 to develop a national painting style in japan during the meiji era 18681912.
Okakuras ideals of the east, with special reference to the art of japan london. The book of tea 1906, okakura kakuzo 186219 some leadin questions to connect with themes of this section. It focuses on the ways in which that goal manifested itself in the educational institutions and painting themes and styles he was involved in creating in. Ikeuchi hiroshi, kim sanggi and the tradition of oriental history toyoshigaku in japan and korea remco e. The book of tea by kakuzo okakura full text free book. I have recently began reading the book of tea by kakuzo okakura which, though it was published in 1906, still holds relevancy to the traditions, customs and cultural beliefs in many asian nationalities around the world. He wrote he wrote the book of tea in 1906, in english, and it has been continually in print ever since. Approach a great painting as thou wouldst approach a great prince. In order to understand a masterpiece, you must lay yourself low before it and await with bated breath its least utterance. He was wont to regard japan as barbarous while she indulged in the gentle.
The teamasters held that real appreciation of art is only possible to those who make of it a living influence. In the book, tenshin introduces the term teaism and how tea has affected nearly every aspect of japanese culture, thought, and life. The paper first looks at how okakura kakuzos the book of tea reshaped and reinterpreted a piece of japan for the englishspeaking world in 1906, discussing the authors choice and methods. With 14 illustrations and 7 free online audio files. Translation is always a treason, and as a ming author observes, can at its best be only the reverse side of a brocade all the threads are there, but not the subtlety of colour or design. The book of tea by kakuzo okakura original edition. The book of tea by kakuzo okakura is a short volume that explains the unique tradition of the japanese tea ceremony, from utensils used at the ceremony to historical context. This is a publication based on the compositions of the international symposium hundred years of tenshin okakuras book of tea on september 2, 2006. The book is accessibile to western audiences because tenshin was. Publication date 1906 topics tea, japanese tea ceremony, japan social life and customs publisher london, new york, putmans sons.
This is a story of tenshins life and conflict and teacherstudent love between tenshin, who rediscovered art of japan and tried to produce new beauty in meiji period, and his young pupils, taikan yokoyama, shunsou hishida, kanzan shimomura, buzan kimura. D16 okakura kakuzo, japan, and englishlanguage verse. The book of tea by kakuzo okakura beauty of the world. The three stages of the evolution of tea the boiled tea, the whipped tea, and the steeped tea, representative of the tang, the sung, and the ming dynasties of china luwuh, the first apostle of tea the teaideals of the three dynasties to the latterday chinese tea is a delicious beverage, but not an ideal in japan tea is a religion of the art of life.
In 1956, the charles e tuttle co of vermont republished a small volume entitled the book of tea. Hounsai genshitsu sen is a direct descendent of sen no rikyu 15221591, who established the foundations of chanoyu tea. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Reconsidering okakura tenshin as the inventor of oriental. Okakura had been taught at a young age to speak english. Nothing is as quintessentially japanese as the tea ceremony or the way of tea. Kakuzo okakuras the book of tea part 2 boston teawrights. This is the end of my lecture on the history of japanese arts. Kakuzo okakura s 1906 treatise on tea is a fascinating exposition of japanese culture and the countrys relationship to the west kristen treen sat 10 sep 2011 19. The fifteenth century saw japan ennoble it into a religion of aestheticism. When it was first published in boston in 1906, it was a groundbreaking work, bringing to the west the thoughts of philosopher and tea lover okakura kakuzo. The book of tea is an essay written by kakuzo okakura in 1906. It has been translated to over 30 languages worldwide. My lecture is so incomplete that you should not be satisfied with this.
1358 1401 926 968 325 494 433 1451 1610 885 222 37 36 1190 1301 445 1327 365 588 530 981 1078 514 1496 1414 1244 445 652 725 930 1425 1107 849 520 1289 232 737 1137 1061 1282 645