Stand for a Tenmoku Teabowl

15th–16th century

Not on view

Tea was central to life in the Chan/Zen Buddhist monastery. Monks drank it to sustain themselves over long periods of meditation, and it served as the focal point of formal ceremonies held by abbots for visiting dignitaries. This assemblage of bowl and stand captures the austere elegance of Zen tea ceremony aesthetics in Muromachi-period Japan. A darkly-hued Chinese tea bowl is paired with a Japanese lacquer stand, the red surface of which has abraded over time to reveal the black underlayer, a prized effect that develops with use and age.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

朱漆輪花天目台
Title: Stand for a Tenmoku Teabowl
Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
Date: 15th–16th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Wood with red over black lacquer; Negoro ware
Dimensions: H. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm); Diam. 6 1/8 in. (15.6 cm)
Classification: Lacquer
Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2019
Object Number: 2019.193.17
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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