THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AESTHETICS AND FUNCTION IN JAPANESE RITUAL DRINKING VESSELS

Abstract

This paper will explore the relationship between function and aesthetics in ceramic drinking vessels used in the Japanese tea ritual. My primary focus will be on Japanese tea bowls from the 11th century to the 17th century. I will follow the sequence and evolution of tea drinking in Japan from aristocratic to religious to modern popular consumption. I will also consider the implications of those developments, especially the interplay of function and design over time. From its inception, the tea ceremony was intertwined with aspects of aesthetics, medicine, religion and social order. During the 5th century A.D., tea drinking vessels were used by the upper classes of Japanese society for formal tea competitions. By the 11th century, the tea drinking ceremony had developed into an ostentatious display of wealth and power. The event gradually transformed from a class-based ceremony to a religious ritual. Some of the first official tea masters were Zen Buddhist monks. By the 15th century, even lay tea masters conducted ceremonies that had spiritual attributes. For several centuries the partaking of tea was reserved for special ceremonies. Over time, the drinking of tea has become a ritual accessible to people of all levels of society in daily life. In modern Japan, tea is a symbol of national identity. Leaders, including all Prime Ministers, are photographed participating in the tea ceremony. Every visiting head of state is entertained with a tea ritual. According to tea scholar Jennifer Anderson, "Tea is a special area of culture set aside as sacred and precious. Many Japanese seem to feel that individual experience with tea is irrelevant as long as the institution is available to symbolize Japanese values and aesthetic sensitivity."¹ No other ritual is as important to the cultural identity of the country. As the tea ceremony developed the style of utensils employed evolved. The one utensil that altered the most dramatically, with the change in styles of tea, was the tea bowl. Three main tea styles will be examined: warrior tea, merchant tea and wabi tea. I will investigate the influence of individual tea practitioners, from each style, on the design of tea bowls used in their ceremonies. My analysis will cover the changes in tea bowl designs that led to the dominant style being used in today's ceremonies.

¹ Jennifer L. Anderson. An Introduction to Japanese Tea Ritual. (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1991), 220.