The Tea Ceremony as Melting Pot

This small exhibition of 17 objects features an eclectic variety of Chinese, Southeast Asian, Korean, and Japanese jars, bowls, cups, dishes, boxes, and a water holder. These items illustrate how exotic foreign ceramics—imported during a period of vigorous international commerce during the 16th and early 17th centuries—became so integrated into the tea ceremony that their provenance was forgotten and they were considered to be Japanese.