The Book of Tea: Beauty, Simplicity and the Zen Aesthetic

Review

"Originally written to be read aloud by the author at Isabella Stewart Gardner's famous salon in 1906, the book focuses on the culture that has engendered the mind of tea and on the Masters who embody this spirit." --Gourmet Retailer

"In some ways, times haven't changed much in the 99 years since Kakuzo Okakura, the Japanese aesthete, gifted the local elite of Boston with his now-legendary explication of the beauties of the tea ceremony, The Book of Tea." --Elle Decor

About the Author

Okakura Kakuzo was born near Tokyo and learned English in his infancy, refining his linguistic skills at the Institute for Foreign Studies in Tokyo. Later he went on to study Oriental Arts at the Tokyo Imperial University. Okakura lived in America for several years where he served as Curator of the Department of Chinese and Japanese art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. He was instrumental in the acquisition of much of that museum's exemplary collection of Eastern art. Foreword by:Andrew Juniper lives in West Sussex, England where he runs the Wabi-Sabi Art Gallery. He also works as a translator for UK and Japanese government bodies. Foreword to the Original Edition by: Elise Grilli lived and worked in Tokyo for many years. She was an art critic for the Japan Times and published several books on Japanese art including Golden Screen Paintings of Japan and Japanese Picture Scrolls. Introduction by: Liza Dalby is an author and anthropologist who, in the 1970s, became the first American woman to become fully trained as a geisha. Her publications include Geisha and the novel The Tale of Murasaki.