Japanese tea ceremony for the Princess
Chado Urasenke Tankokai Bangkok Association is holding the “Charity Japanese Tea Ceremony” in honour of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 5th cycle birthday at Swissotel Nai Lert Park, Witthayu Road, on Oct 17 from 9.30am-3pm.
A Japanese tea house will be set up in the hotel’s Garden Wing and one session comprises two different ceremonies, lasting for about one hour. It will start with “nodate”, an outdoor tea gathering, wherein the host and guest are seated on chairs in the “ryurei” style ceremony performed at “misonodana”, a portable shelf unit used as a table.
Then they will proceed to the main tea ceremony called “honseki”. It will be performed in a tatami-floored room set up on the stage with alcove called “tokonoma” where a hanging scroll of calligraphy is displayed, reading “Kin Rei Keion Wo Fukumu”, which means “The golden bell elegantly rings to celebrate the happiness of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn”.
The utensils used for this congratulatory tea ceremony are mainly from a collection of Thai Rattanakosin-era items. The water container jar is a type of benjarong of lai nam thong design, specifically decorated with a gold background.
The Benjarong tea bowl depicts a central tepanom or angel figure making a wai gesture to express respect to the Princess. The water disposal container of golden nielloware has been in use by the Royal family household.
There will also be a small exhibition of the Thai and Southeast Asian ceramics favoured by the tea masters at the Sala. Items include Korean Ido ware; Japanese pottery of Karatsu, Bizen, Raku and Shino; Vietnamese tea bowls; Sangkalok ware; and Thai benjarong and lai nam thong ware.
Tickets cost 1,000 baht (500 baht for students) per session and can be purchased from Tokyo-do bookshop on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 (02-260-3569). All proceeds will go to the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation.