It all began in Japan. Here’s how it went down:
After 450 years of feudal conflicts, constant warring came to an end in the late 1500’s.
Zen philosophy, the belief that beauty resides in the simple, the quiet, and the imperfect, spread throughout the land. The tea ceremony embodied Zen philosophy.
A great tea master, Sen-no-Rikyu, officially promoted the clay works of Chojiro and his wife, who had developed the raku technique of making simple hand-made bowls.
The raku technique of respecting natural processes has continued to influence ceramic art worldwide.
