the book of tea- 第10部分

The　birth　of　the　Art　of　Flower　Arrangement　seems　to　be　　simultaneous　with　that　of　Teaism　in　the　fifteenth　century。　Our　legends　ascribe　the　first　flower　arrangement　to　those　early　Buddhist　saints　who　gathered　the　flowers　strewn　by　the　storm　and；　in　their　infinite　solicitude　for　all　living　things；　placed　them　in　vessels　of　water。　　It　is　said　that　Soami；　the　great　painter　and　connoisseur　of　the　court　of　Ashikaga…　Yoshimasa；　was　one　of　the　earliest　adepts　at　it。　　Juko；　the　tea…master；　was　one　of　his　pupils；　as　was　also　Senno；　the　founder　of　the　house　of　Ikenobo；　a　family　as　illustrious　in　the　annals　of　flowers　as　was　that　of　the　Kanos　in　painting。　With　the　perfecting　of　the　tea…ritual　under　Rikiu；　in　the　latter　part　of　the　sixteenth　century；　flower　arrangement　also　attains　its　full　growth。　　Rikiu　and　his　successors；　the　celebrated　Ota…　wuraka；　Furuka…Oribe；　Koyetsu；　Kobori…Enshiu；　Katagiri…　Sekishiu；　vied　with　each　other　in　forming　new　combinations。　We　must　remember；　however；　that　the　flower…worship　of　the　tea…masters　formed　only　a　part　of　their　aesthetic　ritual；　and　was　not　a　distinct　religion　by　itself。　　A　flower　arrangement；　like　the　other　works　of　art　in　the　tea…room；　was　subordinated　to　the　total　scheme　of　decoration。　　Thus　Sekishiu　ordained　that　white　plum　blossoms　should　not　be　made　use　of　when　snow　lay　in　the　garden。　　〃Noisy〃　flowers　were　relentlessly　banished　from　the　tea…room。　　A　flower　arrangement　by　a　tea…master　loses　its　significance　if　removed　from　the　place　for　　which　it　was　originally　intended；　for　its　lines　and　proportions　have　been　specially　worked　out　with　a　view　to　its　surroundings。

The　adoration　of　the　flower　for　its　own　sake　begins　with　the　rise　of　〃Flower…Masters；〃　toward　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　It　now　becomes　independent　of　the　tea…room　and　knows　no　law　save　that　the　vase　imposes　on　it。　　New　conceptions　and　methods　of　execution　now　become　possible；　and　many　were　the　principles　and　schools　resulting　therefrom。　　A　writer　in　the　middle　of　the　last　century　said　he　could　count　over　one　hundred　different　schools　of　flower　arrangement。　　Broadly　speaking；　these　divide　themselves　into　two　main　branches；　the　Formalistic　and　the　Naturalesque。　　The　Formalistic　schools；　led　by　the　Ikenobos；　aimed　at　a　classic　idealism　corresponding　to　that　of　the　Kano…academicians。　　We　possess　records　of　arrangements　by　the　early　masters　of　the　school　which　almost　reproduce　the　flower　paintings　of　Sansetsu　and　Tsunenobu。　　The　Naturalesque　school；　on　the　other　hand；　accepted　nature　as　its　model；　only　imposing　such　modifications　of　form　as　conduced　to　the　expression　of　artistic　unity。　　Thus　we　recognise　in　its　works　the　same　impulses　which　formed　the　Ukiyoe　and　Shijo　schools　of　painting。

It　would　be　interesting；　had　we　time；　to　enter　more　fully　than　it　is　now　possible　into　the　laws　of　composition　and　detail　formulated　by　the　various　flower…masters　of　this　period；　showing；　as　they　would；　the　fundamental　theories　which　governed　Tokugawa　decoration。　We　find　them　referring　to　the　Leading　Principle　（Heaven）；　the　　Subordinate　Principle　（Earth）；　the　Reconciling　Principle　（Man）；　　and　any　flower　arrangement　which　did　not　embody　these　principles　　was　considered　barren　and　dead。　They　also　dwelt　much　on　the　　importance　of　treating　a　flower　in　its　three　different　aspects；　　the　Formal；　the　Semi…Formal；　and　the　Informal。　　The　first　might　be　　said　to　represent　flowers　in　the　stately　costume　of　the　ballroom；　　the　second　in　the　easy　elegance　of　afternoon　dress；　the　third　in　the　　charming　deshabille　of　the　boudoir。

Our　personal　sympathies　are　with　the　flower…arrangements　of　the　tea…master　rather　than　with　those　of　the　flower…master。　　The　former　is　art　in　its　proper　setting　and　appeals　to　us　on　account　of　its　true　intimacy　with　life。　　We　should　like　to　call　this　school　the　Natural　in　contradistinction　to　the　Naturalesque　and　Formalistic　schools。　The　tea…master　deems　his　duty　ended　with　the　selection　of　the　flowers；　and　leaves　them　to　tell　their　own　story。　　Entering　a　tea…room　in　late　winter；　you　may　see　a　slender　spray　of　wild　cherries　in　combination　with　a　budding　camellia；　it　is　an　echo　of　departing　winter　coupled　with　the　prophecy　of　spring。　　Again；　if　you　go　into　a　noon…tea　on　some　irritatingly　hot　summer　day；　you　may　discover　in　the　darkened　coolness　of　the　tokonoma　a　single　lily　in　a　hanging　vase；　dripping　with　dew；　it　seems　to　smile　at　the　foolishness　of　life。

A　solo　of　flowers　is　interesting；　but　in　a　concerto　with　painting　and　sculpture　the　combination　becomes　entrancing。　　Sekishiu　once　placed　some　water…plants　in　a　flat　receptacle　to　suggest　the　vegetation　of　lakes　and　marshes；　and　on　the　wall　above　he　hung　a　painting　by　Soami　of　wild　ducks　flying　in　the　air。　　Shoha；　another　tea…master；　combined　a　poem　on　the　Beauty　of　Solitude　by　the　Sea　with　a　bronze　incense　burner　in　the　form　of　a　fisherman's　hut　and　some　wild　flowers　of　the　beach。　　One　of　the　guests　has　recorded　that　he　felt　in　the　whole　composition　the　breath　of　waning　autumn。

Flower　stories　are　endless。　　We　shall　recount　but　one　more。　In　the　sixteenth　century　the　morning…glory　was　as　yet　a　rare　plant　with　us。　　Rikiu　had　an　entire　garden　planted　with　it；　which　he　cultivated　with　assiduous　care。　　The　fame　of　his　convulvuli　reached　the　ear　of　the　Taiko；　and　he　expressed　a　desire　to　see　　them；　in　consequence　of　which　Rikiu　invited　him　to　a　morning　tea　at　his　house。　On　the　appointed　day　Taiko　walked　through　the　　garden；　but　nowhere　could　he　see　any　vestige　of　the　convulvus。　The　ground　had　been　leveled　and　strewn　with　fine　pebbles　and　sand。　With　sullen　anger　the　despot　entered　the　tea…room；　but　a　sight　waited　him　there　which　completely　restored　his　humour。　　On　the　tokonoma；　in　a　rare　bronze　of　Sung　workmanship；　lay　a　single　morning…glorythe　queen　of　the　whole　garden！

In　such　instances　we　see　the　full　significance　of　the　Flower　Sacrifice。　Perhaps　the　flowers　appreciate　the　full　significance　of　it。　　They　are　not　cowards；　like　men。　　Some　flowers　glory　in　deathcertainly　the　Japanese　cherry　blossoms　do；　as　they　freely　surrender　themselves　to　the　winds。　　Anyone　who　has　stood　before　the　fragrant　avalanche　at　Yoshino　or　Arashiyama　must　have　realized　this。　　For　a　moment　they　hover　like　bejewelled　clouds　and　dance　above　the　crystal　streams；　then；　as　they　sail　away　on　the　laughing　waters；　they　seem　to　say：　〃Farewell；　O　Spring！　We　are　on　to　eternity。〃



VII。　Tea…Masters


In　religion　the　Future　is　behind　us。　　In　art　the　present　is　the　eternal。　The　tea…masters　held　that　real　appreciation　of　art　is　only　possible　to　those　who　make　of　it　a　living　influence。　　Thus　they　sought　to　regulate　their　daily　life　by　the　high　standard　of　refinement　which　obtained　in　the　tea…room。　　In　all　circumstances　serenity　of　mind　should　be　maintained；　and　conversation　should　be　conducted　as　never　to　mar　the　harmony　of　the　surroundings。　　The　cut　and　color　of　the　dress；　the　poise　of　the　body；　and　the　manner　of　walking　could　all　be　made　expressions　of　artistic　personality。　These　were　matters　not　to　be　lightly　ignored；　for　until　one　has　made　himself　beautiful　he　has　no　right　to　approach　beauty。　Thus　the　tea…master　strove　to　be　something　more　than　the　　artist；art　itself。　　It　was　the　Zen　of　aestheticism。　　Perfection　is　everywhere　if　we　only　choose　to　recognise　it。　　Rikiu　loved　to　quote　an　old　poem　which　says：　〃To　those　who　long　only　for　flowers；　fain　would　I　show　the　full…blown　spring　which　abides　in　the　toiling　buds　of　snow…covered　hills。〃

Manifold　indeed　have　been　the　contributions　of　the　tea…masters　to　art。　　They　completely　revolutionised　the　classical　architecture　and　interior　decorations；　and　established　the　new　style　which　we　have　described　in　the　chapter　of　the　tea…room；　a　style　to　whose　influence　even　the　palaces　and　monasteries　built　after　the　sixteenth　century　have　all　been　subject。　　The　many…sided　Kobori…Enshiu　has　left　notable　examples　of　his　genius　in　the　Imperial　villa　of　Katsura；　the　castles　of　Najoya　and　Nijo；　and　the　monastery　of　Kohoan。　All　the　celebrated　gardens　of　Japan　were　laid　out　by　the　tea…masters。　Our　pottery　would　probably　never　have　attained　its　high　quality　of　excellence　if　the　tea…masters　had　not　lent　it　to　their　inspiration；　the　manufacture　of　the　utensils　used　in　the　tea…ceremony　　calling　forth　the　utmost　expenditure　of　ingenuity　on　the　parts　of　　our　ceramists。　　The　Seven　Kilns　of　Enshiu　are　well　known　to　all　　students　of　Japanese　pottery。　many　of　our　textile　fabrics　bear　the　　names　of　tea…masters　who　conceived　their　color　or　design。　It　is　　impossible；　indeed；　to　find　any　department　of　art　in　which　the　　tea…masters　have　not　left　marks　of　their　genius。　　In　painting　and　　lacquer　it　seems　almost　superfluous　to　mention　the　immense　　services　they　have　rendered。　　One　of　the　greatest　schools　of　painting　　owes　its　origin　to　the　tea…master　Honnami…Koyetsu；　famed　also　as　　a　lacquer　artist　and　potter。　　Beside　his　works；　the　splendid　creation　of　his　grandson；　Koho；　and　of　his　grand…nephews；　Korin　and　Kenzan；　almost　fall　into　the　shade。　　The　whole　Korin　school；　as　it　is　generally　designated；　is　an　expression　of　Teaism。　　In　the　broad　lines　of　this　school　we　seem　to　find　the　vitality　of　nature　herself。

Great　as　has　been　the　influence　of　the　tea…masters　in　the　field　of　art；　it　is　as　nothing　compared　to　that　which　they　have　exerted　on　the　conduct　of　life。　　Not　only　in　the　usages　of　polite　society；　but　also　in　the　arrangement　of　all　our　domestic　details；　do　we　feel　the　presence　of　the　tea…masters。　　Many　of　our　delicate　dishes；　as　well　as　our　way　of　serving　food；　are　their　inventions。　　They　have　　taught　us　to　dress　only　in　garments　of　sober　colors。　　They　have　instructed　us　in　the　proper　spirit　in　which　to　approach　flowers。　They　have　given　emphasis　to　our　natural　love　of　simplicity；　and　　shown　us　the　beauty　of　humility。　　In　fact；　through　their　teachings　tea　has　entered　the　life　of　the　people。

Those　of　us　who　know　not　the　secret　of　properly　regulating　our　own　existence　on　this　tumultuous　sea　of　foolish　troubles　which　we　call　life　are　constantly　in　a　state　of　misery　while　vainly　trying　to　appear　happy　and　contented。　　We　stagger　in　the　attempt　to　　keep　our　moral　equilibrium；　and　see　forerunners　of　the　tempest　in　every　cloud　that　floats　on　the　horizon。　　Yet　there　is　joy　and　beauty　in　the　roll　of　bi