Freshwater container

Utensils for making a bowl of tea

In the practice of chado (the Way of Tea, also known as chanoyu, “hot water for tea”), the host generally arranges a toriawase, or selection of utensils for a tea gathering, based on a particular theme or season. Although chado is often thought to be “quintessentially Japanese,” from early on tea masters have used artworks from China, Korea, Vietnam, India, and other parts of the world. A preference later emerged for utensils made in Japan, but today as the practice of chado has spread around the world, there is greater latitude in the selection of objects, and a host might choose to incorporate utensils that seem unconventional or non-traditional. This selection highlights two such modern works—a lidded container by native San Francisco artist Jade Snow Wong and a sculptural freshwater jar by Kaneta Masanao.