In 16th century Japan, a bowl of tea could get you killed. This episode traces the birth of the Ancient Japanese tea ceremony and the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, or the art of finding beauty in imperfection. Paul and Stephanie tell the story of tea master Sen no Rikyu, whose humble, handmade Raku bowls stood in defiance of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi's golden excess, in a tale of philosophy, political power, and two tea masters who paid for their art with their lives.
To see the pots Stephanie and Paul are discussing in this episode, be sure to switch to video in your podcast app.
Featured Artworks
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, by Kanō Mitsunobu, 1598, Public Domain
Sen No Rikyū, by Tōhaku Hasegawa,1595, Public Domain
Sen no Rikyū's Tai-an Teahouse, Kyoto, Japan, 1952
Black Raku ware tea bowl, late 16th century, The Smithsonian, CC0
Black Raku Tea Bowl, Named “Kaedegure” (Twilight by the Maples), attributed to Raku Cojiro, late 16th Century, The Met Collection, Public Domain
Furuta Oribe, c. 17th Century
Square Serving Dish with Bail Handle, late 16th century, Asia Society Museum, Public Domain
Sake Bottle (Tokkuri) with Decoration of Three-Leaf Arrowhead, Early 17th century, Public Domain
Credits:
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Editor: Sam Bond
Sound Mix and Engineering: Joseph Little
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: Secrets of The Japanese Tea Ceremony
00:01:41 Origins of Tea in Japan: From Monasteries to Cultural Power
00:03:00 The Political Tea Ceremony: Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Vision
00:05:09 Wabi Sabi: The Perfection of Imperfection
00:09:23 Sen no Rikyu: The Master Who Stripped Away Ego
00:11:17 The Tea Ceremony Experience
00:14:45 Chojiro and Raku Ware: Hand-Built Tea Bowls
00:19:47 The Death of Sen no Rikyu: When Simplicity Threatened Power
00:24:03 Furuta Oribe: A Warrior's Energy Transforms the Ceremony
00:26:17 Oribe Ware: Chaos, Asymmetry, and the Happy Accident
00:32:35 The Second Suicide: Oribe's Violent End
00:35:23 Legacy: Wabi Sabi and the Birth of Studio Ceramics
