The Samurai exhibition at the British Museum has had great reviews, so I was really looking forward seeing it. When I went last week I found a beautiful exhibition, with so many wonderful and important works of armour, kimonos and other objects on show – things to amaze and to learn about. I’d certainly recommend a visit if you are interested in Japanese culture. If I have one criticism it’s that the Samurai were mad about the tea ceremony, but the exhibition only has one iron kettle, and a couple of tea bowls and tea caddies on show. Not enough!
In the Kamakura period (1185-1333) the Samurai believed in Zen Buddhism. When they were fighting against the enemy, it was a fight for life, so to survive on the battlefield it was vital to have a strong spirit to defeat the enemy. And then, even if one survived, one would be burdened with the mental pressure of having killed someone. Zen Buddhism, which involves training the mind through meditation, proved to be the ideal form of Buddhism for these situations for the Samurai.
From the mid 15th to the early 17th century, Japan underwent an era of political instability and conflict. In such tense times, there was a strong need for healing. The Samurai wanted to forge their spirits and weather the turbulent times, seeking healing and mental calm, and turned to the tea ceremony as a meditation. For the tea ceremony it takes time to grind the tea leaves, boil the water, brew the tea, and then to quietly sip a bowl of tea. This process helped to calm the brutal atmosphere of the battlefield and to restore spirits. It was a practice that is truly consistent with the spirit of Zen.
The Samurai brought in new levels of quality for tea bowls, iron pots, bamboo whisks and bamboo spoons, which they took to the battlefield. In fact, while some Samurai asked for land as compensation for their successful wartime efforts, other winning Samurai actually asked for famous tea bowls instead.
In 1582 the high-ranking Samurai Oda Nobunaga was betrayed and killed. On the day of his death he was holding a tea ceremony party. He died in a burning blaze along with his famous collection of tea utensils, which had been passed down to him from the noble Higashiyama region. It is a historic incident, and said to have been a fitting end for Nobunaga, because of his love of the tea ceremony.
I have one or two favorite tea bowls of my own, and would like to give these to someone. But they would have to appreciate them enough though!
The exhibition remined me that, a couple of years ago, I was asked to be involved in the promotion of the TV drama ‘Shogun’. If you still haven’t seen the series, it’s a really stunning production, and it’s still available on Disney+. We had a fascinating time, working with the film crew, and doing numerous Japanese tea ceremony workshops with them.
I have just been in Japan for the New Year, and to spend some special time with my family. I also got the chance to travel and to meet up with a number of wonderful potters there. Following that we have now received quite a few beautiful new ceramics from Karatsu and Mashiko. These exciting pieces are in the shop now, and some of them are online too.
The Samurai Nobunaga loved very famous tea bowls, rare iron pots and beautiful works of art. One of the great collectors of Japan’s past. Today, I like to focus on the work of living artists, and to represent them here in London. That way I can be involved in the progress of artists’ careers, giving them a wider international presence, and helping one generation hand over their skills and knowledge to a new younger generation. These might be not their children, or even be in the same country or continent. But whoever will take over, I hope that the ideas and beauties of these Japanese arts will thrive, flourish and astonish!