Handmade Culture: Raku Potters, Patrons, and Tea Practitioners in Japan

by Morgan Pitelka

Handmade Culture examines Raku, a pottery technique practiced in Japan and around the world. More than a history of ceramics, this work considers four centuries of cultural invention and reinvention during times of both political stasis and socioeconomic upheaval. Handmade Culture makes use of archaeological evidence, heirloom ceramics, tea diaries, letters, woodblock prints, and gazetteers and other publications to narrate the history of Raku.

Genres: Tea, Japan, Art, History

236 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional read. I loved how in depth the research went, uncovering quite large holes in the history of early modern chanoyu, and revealing the inaccuracies and fictions of contemporary tea discourse and retellings. An excellent job of complicating (in a good way) the history and development of Raku ceramics in particular. For tea nerds, this is an absolute must read.