ARTH 215 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Chinese Sexagenary Cycle, Chinese Zodiac, Ernest Fenollosa
16 Aug 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
EAST 215
Week 6 — Feb 8
Feb 15 — Review Session for Exam
Feb 17 — Mid Term Exam
Mid Term Exam: all lectures, readings and documentaries from week 2 - week 6
Tea Ceremonies and Tea Houses
Lunar new year — Chinese Zodiac
-Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, money, rooster, dog and pig
-Japanese zodiac includes Sheep instead of the goad, and the wild boar instead of the pig
-The Vietnamese zodiac includes the buffalo instead of ox, and cat instead of rabbit
The Book of Tea — Okakura Kakuzo [Okakura Tenshin — tea master “stage name”]
Motivation of writing The Book of Tea
-Wanted to convey the idea that Japan is misunderstood — they influenced Europe greatly,
more so than people give credit to
-Historical and political backgrounds in which he wrote this book
Meiji Period (1868-1912) — Okakura’s birth/ life
-3 Elements of Okakura’s early education
1. His contact with Westerners and Western learning
-He began his education in the English language at the age of 6, entering Tokyo
University at 15
-English and manners were different than contemporary Japanese people
2. His study of Chinese Classics
-Also studied Chinese classics under a Buddhist priest
-Lived in a Buddhist temple — while completing his english studies, his interest in
religious culture developed from this experience
-Discovered Teaism as a form of spirituality
-Was very skilled at English, but studied the Chinese classics
3. His interest in Japanese arts
-Studied Japanese painting at the age of 14
-Okakura;s engounter with Ernest Fenollosa greatly influenced his education — role in
preserving Japanese earth, due to the trend of Westernization
-Attended Tokyo University in 1878 — Okakura explored the richness of the earth and
served as Fenollosa’s interpreter
-Worked as a curater at the Imperial Museum of Fine Ars in Japan, then left for USA in
1904 with accepting a position of consultant to the Chinese and Japanese department
of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA
-Published The Book of Tea in 1906
Purpose of The Book of Tea
-Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
-Other books on Teaism already existed, but Okakura’s purposse was different — Japan’s
first success in the war compelled him to write about Japanese culture to teach the West
-Brought current from Asian culture, flowing from eastern India and its prominence on the
rest of the world
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Mid term exam: all lectures, readings and documentaries from week 2 - week 6. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, money, rooster, dog and pig. Japanese zodiac includes sheep instead of the goad, and the wild boar instead of the pig. The vietnamese zodiac includes the buffalo instead of ox, and cat instead of rabbit. The book of tea okakura kakuzo [okakura tenshin tea master stage name ] Wanted to convey the idea that japan is misunderstood they in uenced europe greatly, more so than people give credit to. Historical and political backgrounds in which he wrote this book. 3 elements of okakura"s early education: his contact with westerners and western learning. He began his education in the english language at the age of 6, entering tokyo. English and manners were different than contemporary japanese people: his study of chinese classics. Also studied chinese classics under a buddhist priest.
