Changes

Tea began to transform into a more subdued and refined art over the course of that period, however, a ritualized practice focusing on the preparation of the tea, and the tea utensils used, changing in accordance with the practitioner's refined sense of seasonal aesthetics and consideration of the hierarchical status of the guests. The tea prepared generally takes one of two forms: thin tea (''usucha''), which is less formal and involves less complex ritual; and thick tea (''koicha''). Tea gatherings (''chakai'') in the Edo period typically involved a ''[[kaiseki]]'' meal, a single shared bowl of thick tea, and individual bowls of thin tea for each of the guests, who usually did not number more than five.<ref>Morgan Pitelka, ''Spectacular Accumulation'', University of Hawaii Press (2016), 19.</ref>

Tea began to transform into a more subdued and refined art over the course of that period, however, a ritualized practice focusing on the preparation of the tea, and the tea utensils used, changing in accordance with the practitioner's refined sense of seasonal aesthetics and consideration of the hierarchical status of the guests. The tea prepared generally takes one of two forms: thin tea (''usucha''), which is less formal and involves less complex ritual; and thick tea (''koicha''). Tea gatherings (''chakai'') in the Edo period typically involved a ''[[kaiseki]]'' meal, a single shared bowl of thick tea, and individual bowls of thin tea for each of the guests, who usually did not number more than five.<ref>Morgan Pitelka, ''Spectacular Accumulation'', University of Hawaii Press (2016), 19.</ref>

influencing (and being influenced by) changes in the design or structure of the tearoom itself. These changes to the tearoom were profoundly influential in the history of Japanese architecture; in conjunction with certain other developments, they contributed to the development of the ''[[tokonoma]]'' (an alcove in which seasonally and thematically appropriate paintings and flowers are displayed, helping to set a tone for one's guest), and of features such as the ''[[chigaidana]]'' (a stepped, asymmetrical shelf).

The ritual of serving tea places strong emphasis on the roles of "host" and "guest," but even so, guests are required to be familiar with the specified movements and practices expected of them - including when and how deeply to bow, how to receive a bowl of tea, how to drink it, and so forth.

 

As the ritual also involves the use and display of the host's treasured things - including both the tea implements themselves (bowls, bamboo tea scoops, ceramic tea caddies) and paintings hung in the tearoom - tea practices were centrally influential in architectural innovations such as the ''[[tokonoma]]'' (an alcove in which seasonally and thematically appropriate paintings and flowers are displayed, helping to set a tone for one's guest), and ''[[chigaidana]]'' (a stepped, asymmetrical shelf), standard elements of traditional Japanese architecture from that time forward.

Though [[Sen no Rikyu|Sen no Rikyû]], advisor to [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] in the late 16th century, is generally credited with (re)inventing the tea ceremony in the ''[[wabi]]-[[sabi]]'' form it has come to be most strongly associated with, ''wabi-cha'' had its start decades earlier, amongst the merchants of [[Sakai]]. Tea masters based in Sakai in the early 16th century, including [[Takeno Joo|Takeno Jôô]], [[Kamiya Sotan|Kamiya Sôtan]], [[Tsuda Sokyu|Tsuda Sôkyû]], and [[Imai Sokyu|Imai Sôkyû]], are credited with furthering the development of ''wabi-cha'', the practice of simple but aestheticized tea. Among the merchants of Sakai, tea was one of the chief modes of cultured socializing, and helped create a space of equality and safety (a sort of neutral zone, in a sense) for political discussions and mercantile negotiations.

Though [[Sen no Rikyu|Sen no Rikyû]], advisor to [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] in the late 16th century, is generally credited with (re)inventing the tea ceremony in the ''[[wabi]]-[[sabi]]'' form it has come to be most strongly associated with, ''wabi-cha'' had its start decades earlier, amongst the merchants of [[Sakai]]. Tea masters based in Sakai in the early 16th century, including [[Takeno Joo|Takeno Jôô]], [[Kamiya Sotan|Kamiya Sôtan]], [[Tsuda Sokyu|Tsuda Sôkyû]], and [[Imai Sokyu|Imai Sôkyû]], are credited with furthering the development of ''wabi-cha'', the practice of simple but aestheticized tea. Among the merchants of Sakai, tea was one of the chief modes of cultured socializing, and helped create a space of equality and safety (a sort of neutral zone, in a sense) for political discussions and mercantile negotiations.