Description
Witness a public presentation of a traditional Japanese practice of tea preparation called chanoyu, featuring tea utensils from the museum’s collection. Chanoyu is the comprehensive and quintessential expression of traditional Japanese art and lifestyle. It is all about the host entertaining guests with a bowl of tea prepared with utmost care. The procedure has been refined to an ultimate sophistication, infused with Wabi aesthetics and Zen spirituality.
This event celebrates the fifteenth anniversary of the Eastern Region USA chapter of the Omotesenke Domonkai, the association of practitioners following the tradition of Omotesenke Fushin-an in Kyoto, Japan. For this festive occasion, the local DC representatives have selected tea utensils from our Kinsey Chanoyu Collection to prepare matcha in the Omotesenke tradition. The Kinsey Chanoyu Collection comprises nearly two hundred objects that former NMAA trustee Gregory Kinsey gifted the museum for the express purpose of public education on Japanese tea practice.
Tea will not be served to audience members during this presentation.
Register in advance to get the best experience. On the day of the event, join the standby line for remaining seats. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis for patrons without tickets.
Deepen your knowledge of chanoyu by visiting our exhibition Reasons to Gather: Japanese Tea Practice Unwrapped, which presents historic tea utensils and accessories from across Asia that were used by generations of Japanese tea practitioners.
Tea bowl, Sakakura Shinbei XII (1881–1960), Japan, Fukawa Yumoto, Nagato city, Yamaguchi prefecture, 1960, stoneware, ash glaze, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Study Collection, The Kinsey Chanoyu Collection, Gift of Gregory Kinsey, FSC-P-6983a–h
Cost
Free. Register in advance (recommended)
Get Tickets/Register
Accessibility & Accommodations
Wheelchair accessible
Topics
Demonstrations, Lectures & Discussions
