Tea by Laura Martín Page B

it “sings,” but before it “growls.”
    Tea was served in a glass, and wealthy Russians used a silver or bronze holder, decorated with engraved pictures, to hold the heat-tempered tea glass. Called podstakanniki , which literally means “under the glass,” these are still in use today.
    Russians generally ate only one large meal a day, usually between three and six in the afternoon, but they would drink tea all day long. A cup of tea, whenever it was taken, was usually served with sweets— cakes and cookies. Rather than putting a sweetener in the tea, it became customary to take a spoonful of jam or a lump of sugar in the mouth, followed by a mouthful of hot tea, flavored with citrus.
    Teas that are commonly called “Russian teas” were actually China teas such as Keemun, Chingwoo, Szechwan, and Lap-sang souchong, blended together and sweetened with spices and citrus.
    Korean Potters
    Most of the Korean potters brought to Japan were taken to the port city of Karatsu, in eastern Japan. Here, in the seventeenth century, they introduced the noborigama , the chambered “climbing kiln,” which greatly impacted the Japanese ceramics industry by opening up the possibility of creating many different types of glazes. The huge kilns used massive amounts of firewood, and the resulting ash created beautiful colors and glazes on the pottery. The pottery coming from this district was called Karatsu ware and was characterized by freehand or geometric patterns from nature, painted on a white background.

    Raku Ware
    Different potters, of course, developed different styles, some of which were forgotten as soon as they developed, while others, such as raku, are still remembered and revered today. Raku ware, a lead-glazed earthenware, was first created in the sixteenth century in Kyoto, specifically for making vessels for the tea ceremony. Many consider raku the most remarkable of all tea pottery.
    Tanaka Chojiro, the son of one of the Korean potters taken to Japan, made bowls that were simply shaped, with a basic monochrome glaze, usually either black or dark brown. This was in keeping with the aesthetic of wabi, held so important by the tea master Rikyu. The bowls were originally called ima-yaki , meaning “now wares,” but the name was eventually changed when Hideyoshi awarded Chojiro an honorary gold seal with the name Jurakudai , the name of his palace, which eventually came to symbolize his rule. Chojiro was probably greatly honored to receive this accolade from the ruler, but he eventually shortened the name to raku, which literally means “joy” or “happiness.” He not only used the name for his pottery, but also adopted it as the family name.

    Today, Kichizaemon Raku maintains the family tradition and represents the fifteenth generation to do so.
    Oribe
    By the end of the sixteenth century, art in Japan had undergone a transformation, due in part to the creative genius of the tea master, scholar, and gentleman samurai Furuta Oribe ( 1544 – 1615 ).
    Oribe, who had been one of Rikyu’s students, was one of the first tea masters appointed by the emperor after his teacher’s death. Among his other skills, Oribe was also a stunningly innovative artist who showed great creativity in creating ceramics to be used in the tea ceremony. He completely changed the type of glaze used on traditional pottery, and his wares were used not only for formal tea ceremonies but for more casual, domestic occasions as well.
    His ceramics featured thick glazes of brilliant green, pink, and black. He was able to attain such a stunning, glistening effect that his pottery shone like glass. The graphic motifs found on his pottery were painted on with an iron glaze, creating an almost modernistic appearance. Many of the motifs were exotic for Japan, showing for the first time the influence of the West.

CHAPTER 7
Tea Spreads Throughout the World
“Goodness is a decision for the