means of developing a large group of people aesthetically keen and it has enabled the Japanese people to retain their sense of what is artistic and beautiful sufficiently to avoid being overwhelmed by the deadly monotony of mass production.
Bernard Leach, the English artist-potter, on one visit to Tokyo, gave a talk before an interested group of people in which he stated it was his opinion that the teaching and practice of cha no yu had developed and perpetuated the aesthetic sense of a large number of Japanese and that this had protected the ceramic art of Japan.
The names of many of the greatest cha jin (tea masters) are inseparably connected with Japanese ceramics. Few of them were potters and their influence was due to their authority as arbiters of good taste for cha no yu utensils. Beginning with Shuko, who lived in the latter half of the fifteenth century and who was the teacher of Shino Soshin and contemporary of So ami these cha jin shaped the course of ceramic development in Japan
So ami, a retainer of the Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimitsu, who held power from 1444 to 1473, and Shino Soshin, a contemporary, are credited with being among the first to develop the demand for pottery suitable for cha no yu. Shino's name is perpetuated in Shino yaki a product of Seto kilns. These wares are characterized by deep crackles in a soft looking thick cream glaze over indeterminate pictures or patterns drawn in iron pigment on the coarse biscuit. In places the glaze bubbles and becomes discoloured producing red tints about the edges. On many of the pieces the glaze is wiped off to expose the biscuit and part of the painted design. There is a great charm about these wares for they are especially agreeable to the touch. They are still being produced.
Takeno Sho o's real name was Nakamura Shinshiro. He came of a samurai family but as his feudal lord fell with his clan in the Onin war (1467-8) his father wandered masterless for a while eventually settling at Sakai as a tradesman. Sho o himself went to Kyoto as a boy and entered into service with Udaijin Kimiyori. He was presented at court and given the title of Inaba no Kami. He studied Zen Buddhism and became a skillful writer of verse. Later he retired to Sakai. His influence on Japanese ceramics seems to have been through his pupils especially Sen no Rikyu.
Sen no Rikyu, whose name appears so often in connection with cha no yu and its pottery was born into the family of a wholesale fish dealer. His father's name was Tanaka Yohei but he early took the name "Sen" of his grandfather who was an artist and a friend of the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, becoming Sen Soeki.
The young Sen Soeki was one time commanded to serve tea before the Emperor Go Yozei. But as he had no court rank he was advised to retire and adopt the Buddhist name of Koji (meaning Enlightened Recluse). His Zen teacher gave him the name of "Rikyu." His name was confirmed by Imperial Edict and he is known in history as Sen no Rikyu. The Shogun Hideyoshi ordered Rikyu to revise and put into writing the rules for cha no yu. For many years Rikyu enjoyed the friendship of Hideyoshi but when he was quite an old man Hideyoshi accused him of insolently living in a style above his station in life. At Hideyoshi's order he quietly committed suicide by seppuku. He was seventy one at the time.
Kobori Enshu (1579-1647) was not himself a potter but a tea teacher yet his name is associated with a certain type of pottery made at many kilns throughout Japan. The kilns of Shidoro, Zeze, Kosobe, Agano, Takatori, Asahi and Akahada are known as Enshu's Seven Favourite kilns.
Enshu's real name was Kobori Totomi no Kami Masakazu, his father was civil governor of Fushimi. Enshu also used the name "Soko." He served under Tokugawa Iyeyasu, taking the place.of Oribe as supreme authority in all things relating to cha no yu. He was a poet, a painter and a calligraphist, besides being exceedingly fond of ike bana (the Japanese art of flower arrangement), and his name of Enshu is perpetuated in the Enshu ryu of flower arrangement. In cha no yu he was a follower of the style of Sen no Rikyu. He did much to encourage the production of Japanese pottery by personally investigating the possibilities of the clays of various districts and encouraging the potters of many kilns to make things for the use of cha no yu.
Enshu's Seven Kilns
Shidoro;—established in 1575 by Kato Shoyemon Kagetada. Wares undecorated, glaze of rich black-brown and autumn colours of yellow and brown.
Kosobe;—wares unknown until 1625 when they were popularized by Enshu.
Zeze;—originated in 1630 at the command of Ishikawa Tadatsuna, Lord of Zeze under the direction of Enshu. The wares have golden or reddish brown and purplish glazes over a dark grey fine grained biscuit. These wares are much like those of Takatori and Seto.
Agano;—kilns started by Hosokawa Tadaoki (known also as Sansai) in 1602 when he employed a naturalized Korean potter. At first very Korean in style, the wares later became similar to Takatori wares.
Takatori;—an ancient kiln which developed when Kuroda Nagamasa brought back with him from Korea potters named Shinkuro and Hachizo. Wares have dull coffee brown, yellow or rich purple black spotted glazes and bluish grey flambe.
Asahi;—founded about 1600 by Okumura Jirozayemon. 1645 Enshu supervised Okumura Tosaku in making tea bowls, of light brown or light blue glaze on a coarse biscuit. 1830-1873 a potter named Chobei Matsubayashi produced modern wares.
Akahada;—started about 1580 but discontinued until about 1645 when it was revived by Nonomura Ninsei. The wares resemble Takatori or Hagi pearl grey crackled glaze clouded with salmon pink. Enshu had cha no yu utensils made here under his direction.
Hon ami (written also Honnami or Hon Ami) Koyetsu, born 1557 died 1637, was a direct pupil of Oribe. He was originally a connoisseur of swords but through the study of cha no yu became interested in pottery and became a skillful potter. He studied pottery-making with Jokei the second raku master and was noted for his skill in the use of the bamboo spatula for trimming tea bowls into shape. His grandson Ko ho (1601-1682) known also as Kuchu sai or just Kuchu also made raku wares after his manner. Kuchu's productions are rare and valuable today.
The name of Matsudaira Fumai Harusan (1751-1818) who was the feudal Lord of Matsuye in Izumo Province is of importance in any consideration of Japanese pottery. He was a cha jin but was especially interested in ceramics. For his own use he designed and ordered made certain tea wares; he was fond of well made "exquisite" rather than rugged wares. Another of his contributions to ceramics was the compilation of twelve catalogues listing and describing famous cha no yu potteries.
It was the cha jin, tea devotees, who rescued from oblivion, and taught the satisfying beauty of ancient and excavated ceramic wares overlooked by less discerning collectors and during the ages that cha no yu has been the great national pastime bowls from widely different sources have given pleasure to many.
Among the best known are Temmoku cha wan, bowls which were used for serving tea to monks of the Zen sect temple at Tienmu Shan in Chekiang, China. These bowls were not much admired in China, they were cheap and available but in Japan they are priceless. These are of blackish or bluish brown, a hard thin stone ware, conical in shape with a rather small footrim or base. In China they are called Chien-yao (yao means kiln wares) and were made at Fukien during the Sung dynasty.
Temmoku tea bowl, the so-called yuteki or oil-spot Temmoku. Note the irregular welt formed by the glaze, called maku or curtain formation by the Japanese.
Korean Halauji, or white ware, bowls used in the country of their origin for serving rice at the daily meal are admired by many. These are of thick, greyish white ware of a rather, to the uninitiated, obscure uninteresting flat bowl shape with thick heavy footrim or base.
Another form of Ternmokn tea bowls with the design of the
