Changes

===Muromachi===

===Muromachi===

Emerging in the early Muromachi period, tea ceremony grew out of 13th-14th century practices at [[Zen]] temples. It soon became one of a number of activities in which samurai, court nobles, and other elites engaged at elegant but raucous banquets. While many of the physical or choreographic elements of the tea ceremony were already present at this early stage, the act had little spiritual or deeply aesthetic component at this time.

Though tea was consumed by people of all classes, formal tea ceremony grew out of 13th-14th century practices at [[Zen]] temples. It soon became one of a number of activities in which samurai, court nobles, and other elites engaged at elegant but raucous banquets. While many of the physical or choreographic elements of the tea ceremony were already present at this early stage, the act had little spiritual or deeply aesthetic component at this time.

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 (''temae''), 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>

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.

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.