Magic of the Tea Bowl : Volume 2

Magic of the Tea Bowl (Vol.2)

April 2022

The Japanese tea ceremony was first established during the 16^th century and has continued to flourish to the present day. Closely related to Zen philosophy, it has held a central place in Japanese art, culture, and soul. Known as Chawan, tea bowls are handed from the tea master, who prepares the tea, to the guests, transmitting the scent and warmth of the tea through the hands to the lip. There is no other form of art that possesses such a close, physical sensitivity or arouses such a rich emotion. As you focus your feelings within the tea bowl, time is forgotten, and it is in the ensuing silence where the cosmos seems to spread out from within your hands. Your heart and body shaken with an indescribable pulse. It is as if you are being enchanted. 

Numerous people participate in the tea ceremony at the same time and place, sharing tea from the same bowl, but this has become difficult due to the current circumstances. As a result, it has heightened our appreciation of the essence of the tea ceremony, which is summed up in the phrase, ‘Ichigo Ichie': Treasure every meeting, for it will never recur. It has never felt as important as it is now.

Ippodo Gallery held the "Magic of the Tea Bowl" exhibition last year, which was collected during the height of the pandemic (2020-2021) by visiting workshops around Japan. Many tea bowls left the hands of potters to the hands of their owners. Now more than ever, viewers become immersed in the bowl held in their hands, interacting with it and tasting the bowl’s infinite mercy.

In this second exhibition, we have added new artists and collected their masterpieces. At a time when people are unable to meet freely, these tea bowls will insinuate themselves into our hearts and link us all together. Tea bowls serve to drive away loneliness and create a new language. We hope that you will be able to come and discover the magic tea bowl that will become irreplaceable to you.

Shoko Aono