General
Black Raku chawan, or tea bowls, are currently gaining global attention. The founder of the Raku family of potters created this implement at the request of Sen no Rikyū, who elevated the Japanese tea ceremony to entirely new levels of refinement. What is the allure of these tea bowls that crosses national borders? We asked Raku Kichizaemon XV, the current head of the Raku family, about their appeal.
Link to the article
published on www.nippon.com
The meaning of the Tea-Way: boil water, whisk the tea and drink it with a sincere heart.
Nothing more!
Sen no Rikyū
Within the Way of Tea (jap.茶道, chadō or sadō), the tea ceremony (jap. 茶の湯, chanoyu, lit. «warm water for the tea») is best known in the West. It is one of the many ways inspired by Zen Buddhism to reach inner peace and harmony with nature.
A video by Frédérique Dumas
2013, 8 minutes 43 with meditative musical background
There are three main schools of the tea ceremony which are called the Sansenke. This name comes from Sen no Rikyu also called Rikyu Sōeki who was the great grandfather of the founders of the three main schools. They are said to be the main schools because of the bloodline connecting them to the grand master of the tea ceremony Sen no Rikyu, and because they have the biggest following of students. All three Sen family schools apply "Sen" in the name of their school