Exhibition of flower arrangements by Prof. Ofuji and tea ceremony by Greg Stoddard '98 who took lessons in tea ceremony in Japan in the winter of 1997
’ƒ“¹(The Way of Tea)
Greg, serving a
bowl of tea to Tony Duffy '98 as "Shokyaku (a main guest)." Greg's costume is a traditional "kimono," "hakama (pants)," and "tabi (socks)." |
Greg brought back
necessary utensils such as tea bowls, a whisk, "kama (kettle)," "hibachi
(brazier)," "hishaku (bamboo ladle), " "kakejiku (hanging scroll)," etc.
from Japan. The "Ocha-bana (Tea flowers) were arranged by Prof. Ofuji. |
The Japanese
writing hanging from the scroll in front of the room, illegible even to most
Japanese viewers, is usually explained by the person giving the tea ceremony.
This particular one might be read, "Quietly, in the tea room, enjoy the pure
taste of the Tea." The individual characters, read from top-to-bottom, right-to-left,
read: Room, Quiet, Tea, Taste, Pure. You can construct any meaning you wish,
either from the meaning of the characters or the motion and energy of the script
itself.
The kettle is a spring/summer kettle, and we use it here
both out of necessity, and as an attempt to look forward to the seasons which
are beginning to mix themselves into the winter air.
Please take a folded paper with a sweet on it, large paper
if you are male, and small if you are female, and take a seat when you feel
comfortable.
Confused? No problem... you have a cheat sheet..."
Books recommended
’ƒ‚Ì–{ (The
Book of Tea) in Japanese.
There is a translation --
" The Book of Tea" by Kakauzo Okakura (1862-1913) ; With foreword &
biographical
sketch by Elise Grilli.
CONTENTS: The cup of humanity
-- The schools of tea -- Taoism and Zennism --
The tea-room -- Art appreciation -- Flowers -- Tea masters.
**There are a few copies available in the
libraries at Bowdoin and Colby.
"Greg was very impressed by 'Cha no hon' because in this book Okakura says that 'sado' is the Oriental democracy. I agree with him and hope more people, both Japanese and non-Japanese, will read this book. (Ofuji)"
‰Ø“¹ (The way of Flowers) or ¶‚¯‰Ô (Flower Arrangement)
I (Ofuji) took lessons in the
Ohara-ryu (school) for many years in Japan and got a certification for teaching
"ikebana." The Ohara school was founded at the end of the 19th century
by Ohara, Unshin. The Ohara school has popularized the "moribana (lit.
piled flowers)." I like this school's style very much because they
have developed their own arrangements based on the traditional Japanese
styles and modern styles of Ikebana. The flower arrangement in the picture is the Heavenly Style of "moribana." |
To share this with others, especially long-awaited special guests.
Such are the
thoughts that must have prompted men even in ancient times, as they do today,
to select blooms or branches and place them on display.
With time, in arranging flowers and branches, one becomes
aware of the very different results obtained by merely changing the position
of a branch, the placement of the flowers, the number used, the shape,
color combination and the blending of materials. This naturally leads to the
question--what kind of arrangement, and what combinations of materials, best
bring out or emphasize the natural beauty of the flowers and branches being
arranged? In Ikebana, one of the traditional arts of Japan, these questions
have been seriously pursued and discussed for hundreds of years. The combined
achievements of thousands of individual Ikebana devotees, building one upon
the other through these many years, have resulted in the present day techniques
of Ikebana.
Ikebana took form in the Muromachi Period (1390-1573). The
Muromachi Period's cultural characteristics are represented in a combination
of art forms known as the Higashiyama Culture. This Higashiyama Culture initiated
the tea ceremony, the Noh drama, "renga" form of linked poems, architecture,
and garden landscaping, most of which are called the traditional cultures of
Japan. Ikebana also took more disciplined form in this period. Prior
to that, from the time of the Nara Period (8th century), there were only floral
offerings which were the earliest beginnings of Ikebana.
@
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