It is not often that such a rare and wonderfully varied collection is put on public view as that currently at the Seikado Bunko Art Museum. This special exhibition, from the permanent collection of the museum, is on display for the first time since 1994.
The show presents 97 pieces of Korean ceramics, including celadon, white and blue-and-white porcelain and punch'ong stoneware ranging in age from the Koryo Dynasty (918-1392) to the Yi Dynasty (1392-1910).
The exhibition has many highlights, among which are the exquisite tea bowls known as Korai chawan, exported from Korea between the 16th and 18th centuries for use in Japanese tea ceremonies. Japanese tea masters favored these bowls for their simplicity and subtleness, qualities that are essential to the wabi-cha tea ceremony. Wabi-cha, associated with the school of Sen no Rikyu, calls for the removal of anything ostentatious, replacing decorative items with simple pieces, and the enactment of the tea ceremony in rustic, thatch-roofed teahouses. The Korai chawan were a perfect match for this aesthetic, displaying pure lines and a truly understated sense of elegance.