Review
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For those of us who, for years, have loved and been influenced
by Okakura's prose and philosophy, this new edition brings fresh
in and clarity to the work. With sensitivity, admiration and
profound appreciation for Okakura, Bruce Richardson unravels the
complex and intriguing story that lies behind the original Book
of Tea. All tea lovers will treasure this beautiful and valuable
work. --Jane Pettigrew, London author
Georgia O'Keeffe loved The Book of Tea. The similarities between
her own life and the Japanese tea ceremony were obvious- her
constant manner, her humility, her exactness, her utterly
respectful exactness. --Christine Patten, author of Miss O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe loved The Book of Tea. The similarities between
her own life and the Japanese tea ceremony were obvious- her
constant manner, her humility, her exactness, her utterly
respectful exactness. --Christine Patten, author of Miss O'Keeffe
Okakura was such a charismatic genius he is called by the
Japanese tensin which means teacher; which he certainly was. But
they have no word for bridge person, any more than we do in
English, yet this describes the essence of Okakura's life work.
He bridged cultures that seemed worlds apart, interpreting Japan
and Asian ways to the West and in Japan itself finally achieving
the honored status of tensin. The Book of Tea is only the best
known of his monuments. What a life story is now revealed to us!
Bruce Richardson resurrects Okakura's life and times by means of
exquisitely chosen and reproduced illustrations. It is rare for
writing as exquisite as Okakura's to be illustrated just as
exquisitely and this Benjamin Press Edition of The Book of Tea is
in its own right a landmark in the art of bookmaking. We look
through Mr. Richarson's educated eye at period photos and
portraits from the time Okakura at 24 sailed from Yohohama to San
Francisco in 1886. Already an enfant terrible in the Japanese art
world, he was eager to discover new worlds - America and Europe -
where his impact was to prove cely less epochal than it had
been on his abandoned native soil.
Richardson also shows us how Okakura inspired and influenced
several generations of American genius--very much including Frank
Lloyd Wright and Georgia O'Keeffe--through The Book of Tea. Why
has all this been kept secret up til now?
This new edition represents a work of generosity and love on the
part of Bruce Richardson: It is a beautiful work of art in
tribute to a beautiful work of art. --James Norwood Pratt's
review in TeaTime magazine
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From the Author
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Okakura Kakuzo was born in Yokohama in 1862, just as Japan was
opening its doors to the West. As a teen, he became a student at
the newly-organized Tokyo University where he served as
interpreter and guide for countless intellectual Americans
touring his country. His incredible journey took him from
Yokohama to New York, Paris, Bombay, and Boston, where his life
intertwined with such luminaries as Rabindranath Tagore, John
Singer Sargent, Henry James, John La Farge, Isabella Stewart
Gardner, Ezra Pound, and Henri Matisse. He eventually came to
Boston in 1904 to accept the position of Asian Arts director at
the Museum of Fine Arts. He wrote three books – all in English.
He was the spiritual advisor for Isabella Stewart Gardner and his
writings influenced the work of such notable American artists as
Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O'Keeffe.
Bruce Richardson is a tea blender and writer who has been active
in America's tea renaissance for over two decades. He is the
owner of Elmwood Inn Fine Teas headquartered in Danville,
Kentucky. Bruce serves as Tea Master for the Boston Tea Party
Ships & Museum and Contributing Editor for TeaTime and Tea
Journey magazines. Bruce has authored fourteen books on tea,
icluding The Great Tea Rooms of Britain, Tea & Etiquette, and The
Book of Tea. He is a frequent guest speaker at tea events across
the United States.
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From the Inside Flap
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Okakura Kakuzo was born in the bustling seaport of Yokohama in
1862, only eight years after Commodore Perry's "Black Ships"
pried open Japan's international trade gates. Christian
missionaries taught him to speak English and sing Methodist
hymns, while Buddhist monks schooled him in Confucianism and
drinking green tea. Working alongside his teachers at Tokyo
University, all imported from New England, Okakura helped save
Japan's artistic traditions from being tossed aside in favor of
modern Western aesthetics.
By the turn of the twentieth century, Okakura had made his way to
Boston, where he became the Director of the Asian Arts Department
at the Museum of Fine Arts and the favorite companion of Back Bay
society's grande dame, Isabella Stewart Gardner. Okakura found
tea to be the perfect metaphor for interpreting the Japanese art
spirit to a Boston culture thirsty for a counterpoint to
America's headlong rush into materialism and wealth. The Book of
Tea was first published in 1906 and has never been out of print.
It is one of the most influential books ever written for those
looking to infuse the tea spirit into their lives.
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From the Back Cover
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Discover the fascinating character of Okakura Kakuzo and the
story of how he came to write one of the twentieth century's
most influential books on art, beauty, and simplicity--all
steeped in the world's communal cup of tea. His incredible
journey took him from Yokohama to New York, Paris, Bombay, and
Boston, where his life intertwined with such luminaries as
Rabindranath Tagore, John Singer Sargent, Henry James, John La
Farge, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Ezra Pound, and Henri Matisse.
His writings influenced the work of such notable artists as Frank
Lloyd Wright and Georgia O'Keefe. American tea writer Bruce
Richardson includes many historical photographs and illustrations
in this updated edition of Okakura's classic text, along with
unique in into how his philosophy continues to inspire
today's tea culture.
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About the Author
----------------
Okakura Kakuzo was born in Yokohama in 1862, just as Japan was
opening its doors to the West. As a teen, he became a student at
the newly-organized Tokyo University where he served as
interpreter and guide for countless intellectual Americans
touring his country. His incredible journey took him from
Yokohama to New York, Paris, Bombay, and Boston, where his life
intertwined with such luminaries as Rabindranath Tagore, John
Singer Sargent, Henry James, John La Farge, Isabella Stewart
Gardner, Ezra Pound, and Henri Matisse. He eventually came to
Boston in 1904 to accept the position of Asian Arts director at
the Museum of Fine Arts. He wrote three books – all in English.
He was the spiritual advisor for Isabella Stewart Gardner and his
writings influenced the work of such notable American artists as
Frank Lloyd Wright and Georgia O'Keeffe.
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