EXHIBITION TALK Warlords, Merchants & Tea in Momoyama Japan (1568-1615)

During Japan’s Momoyama period (1568-1615), warriors and merchants crossed class divisions to engage in a form of social intercourse that focused on, though was more complex than, the drinking of a bowl of tea.  It was in fact a performance, and the proper setting and paraphernalia were crucial to the event.  Andrew Watsky, Associate Professor of Art History, Vassar College, discusses how during Japan’s Momoyama period warriors and merchants crossed class divisions to engage in a form of social intercourse that focused on the drinking of a bowl of tea. He also explores how this practice impelled tea practitioners to explore new aesthetic ideas in architecture, ceramics, bamboo and other media and introduces some of these aesthetic innovations as early precedents that stand behind the exhibition, The New Way of Tea.

Held in conjunction with the exhibition The New Way of Tea, on view at the Japan Society Gallery and Asia Society from March 6 – May 19.