RAKU WARE

It was during the Tenshô years of the Momoyama period (1573~1592) when Chôjirô pioneered hand-formed tea bowls in red and black Raku inspired by wabi tea aesthetics advocated by Sen Rikyû. Since then over 400 years Raku descendents have being producing a variety of tea ceramics embracing the tea spirit and epochal mood prevalent in the time they lived in. The Raku museum collection consists primarily of ceramics made by successive heads of the Raku family, related documents, and tea utensils passed down over the generations. The collection has been formed as a resource from which future generations can learn about the techniques and artistry of their forbears. It is, in effect, an encapsulation of the essence of the Raku tradition.
This spring special exhibition features selected masterpieces representing each generation from Chôjirô the founder to the current Raku Kichizaemon XV.
A special public display includes two rarely seen tea bowls of superb quality, one being a black Raku tea bowl by Chôjirô inherited from Mozuya Sôan, Rikyû’s son-in-law, the other being Dônyû’s black bowl named ‘Karagoromo’ notable for its provenance from the Honganji temple, which form central pieces of the exhibition.
Through this exhibition Raku 450 years history and tradition will be unveiled.

Man lives with Nature and receives the blessing of Nature in endless ways, though Nature’s capacity extends far beyond human imagination and sometimes a fierce force of Nature does harm to man’s living. 
Chanoyu, the Way of Tea, is the conduit for harmony between Nature and human beings.  The works of Raku generations provides the image of how Chanoyu relates to Nature in such a context.  Let’s find it out more this summer at the Raku Museum through all the exhibits imbued with a feel of season!

Nature is man’s friend.
Let’s feel Nature fully and utterly. Let’s listen to the sound of Nature.

The wind blowing through a pine forest,
The wave washing against a sandy beach,
The wave dashing against a rocky coast,
The murmuring of a stream in the valley,
Cicadas singing and crickets chirping,
Thunder and lightening, the thundering voice of Thor,
The rain beating against a roof,
All these are gentle voices of Nature.
Nature also has angry voices:
tsunami, storm, hurricane, flood, earthquake are those.

Nature surrounds us; Nature gives us a joy; Nature cures us,
Nature gives us various gifts and blessings.
But sometimes we have to strain our ears and listen carefully
to the whispering of Nature.
Nature is sometimes gentle and mild sometimes angry and fierce,
but contains all the beings in the world.
Of course man is a part of Nature.

Chanoyu has long fostered the wisdom to enjoy a company with Nature.
To enjoy the heat of summer that can be soothed,
To enjoy the winter cold that can be warmed up,
by a humble touch of ingenuity
In Chanoyu, Nature is its master.