The Teabowl

Teabowls have become an iconic form in ceramics, and this book considers everything from their history to their current status and use, giving examples and insights from many contemporary artists.

This book draws upon both ancient and contemporary sources to examine the significance of the earth from the perspective of six different cultures and how these spiritual traditions have valued, perceived, and understood the earth. At first glance the peoples of aboriginal Australia, Japan, Greece, Africa, South America, and Native North America couldn't be more different. But by taking a closer look, the author shows that there are many more similarities than differences- all revere mountains as a source of inspiration and holiness, all feel a spiritual connection to the soil itself, all create art and literature to celebrate their connection to the land, and all see themselves as inextricable from the land they call home. This unique volume explores how human beings across the planet and across time have felt about the earth and nature, and how they have understood it, related to it, and celebrated it in their literature, mythology, religion, and art. It demonstrates that no matter where on the planet we exist, and no matter what time period we live, we all have a profound connection to the earth. -- from Book Jacket.

A broken pot is made whole again, and within its golden repair we see a world of meaning. Kintsugi is the art of embracing imperfection. In Western cultures, the aim of repair has been to make the broken item 'as good as new'. Kintsugi on the other hand, is a Japanese art that leaves an obvious repair – one that may appear fragile, but which actually makes the restored ceramic piece stronger, more beautiful, and more valuable than before. Leaving clear, bold, visible lines with the appearance of solid gold, it never hides the story of the object's damage. Kintsugi traces memory, bringing together the moment of destruction and the gold seams of repair through finely-honed skills and painstaking, time-consuming labour in the creation of a new pot from the old. There is a story to be told with every crack, every chip. This story inevitably leads to kintsugi's greatest strength. an intimate metaphoric narrative of loss and recovery, breakage and restoration, tragedy and the ability to overcome it. A kintsugi repair speaks of individuality and uniqueness, fortitude and resilience, and the beauty to be found in survival. Kintsugi leads us to a respectful and appreciative acceptance of hardship and ageing. Author Bonnie Kemske explores kintsugi's metaphorical power as well as exploring the technical and practical aspects of the art, meeting with artists and ceramists in Japan and the US to discuss their personal connection to this intricate technique. With the inclusion of diary entries, personal stories, and in-depth exploration of its origin and symbolism, this book shows kintsugi's metaphoric strength as well as its striking aesthetic, making it a unique and powerful art form that can touch our lives.

Japan's brief but dramatic Momoyama period (1573-1615) witnessed the struggles of a handful of ambitious warlords for control of the long-splintered country and finally the emergence of a united Japan. This was also an era of dynamic cultural development in which the feudal lords sponsored lavish, innovative arts to proclaim their newly acquired power. One such art was a ceramic ware known as Oribe, whose mysterious sudden appearance and rise in popularity are explored in this book. Ceramics are closely connected to the tea ceremony and central to Japanese culture. In this context Oribe wares represented a unique and major development, since they were the easiest Japanese ceramics to carry extensive multicolor decoration. Boldly painted with geometric and naturalistic designs, they display sensuous glazes, especially in a distinctive vitreous green, as well as a whole repertoire of playful new shapes. Their genesis has tradtionally been ascribed to Furuta Oribe (1543/44-1615), a warrior and the foremost tea master of his time, who appears to have played a crucial role in redefining the aesthetics of Japan. Over seventy engaging vessels of Oribe ware, along with striking examples of other types of wares produced in the same milieu, make up the heart of this catalogue. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

The authors offer a comprehensive, visual, kiln-by-kiln survey of Shino and Oribe ware. Illustrations.

At midlife, Mary Rose O'Reilley reflects on her past and her hard-won sense of self. She is determined, now, not to sacrifice or waste her self. She has struggled for years along the paths set by her suburban childhood, her Catholic upbringing, her failed marriage, and the mute duties of daughterhood. Now, she is trying to see the world through the eyes of the deer that stop outside her window and look in at her. As a wildlife rehabilitator, she feels a closer connection to the natural world as experienced by animals. As an apprentice potter, she sees in a Japanese tea bowl the ultimate balance of action and contemplation. As a Quaker, she can both sit still and sing. And as a writer, O'Reilley can speak clearly to readers at midlife who are expected to know it all, but don't.

The tea cermony—known as cha-no-yu, or literally "hot water for tea"—has touched nearly every aspect of Japanese life. First published in 1933 as Cha-No-Yu, or The Japanese Tea Ceremony, this classic remains the gold standard for books on the five-centuries-old tea ceremony, which is itself "an epitome of Japanese civilization." Abundantly illustrated with drawings and photographs showing every aspect of the tea ceremony, this book takes readers on a complete tour of furniture and utensils, architecture and gardens, and numerous other features of cha-no-ya. Photos of tea bowls, teahouses and gardens reveal the exquisite artistry of the cult of tea. The Japanese Tea Ceremony is a fascinating exploration of one of Japan's greatest arts and details the importance of the tea ceremony's history and traditions, its historical tea masters and its physical manifestations. This book includes: Descriptions of the many disciples contained within the broader framework of tea ceremony, including art, architecture, gardening and exquisite handicrafts The experiences of masters of the art over the centuries Histories of the various schools and traditions of the art of tea

Presents a dancer's perspective as a member of the Graham Group in the 1930s and a Broadway dancer during and after the second World War, sharing insights into the prestigious teacher's educational methods while describing period dance, theater, and politics. Reprint. (Performing Arts)