Reflecting on Japanese Tea Ceremony in the Victorian era at the Roedde House Museum
Saturday May 25th was a chance to step back in time as Dōjin Arts hosted an intimate Japanese tea ceremony in the historic Roedde House parlour.
Although the practice of preparing tea for guests integrating Zen aesthetics and following carefully prescribed movements and protocols dates back more than 450 years, the forms are constantly evolving to suit the times.
As traditional matcha tea was served at a modern-era tea table, longtime tea ceremony practitioner and instructor Maiko Behr provided guests with a general introduction to the Japanese tea ceremony with additional attention to the period of the encounter between East and West at the turn of the 20th century - contemporary with Roedde House. The beautiful parlour provided the perfect atmosphere for a glimpse at this interesting historical moment when traditional arts were adapting to the modern world.
Thank you to Roedde House Museum for inviting us into your beautiful space, to the wonderful volunteers from both Roedde House and Dōjin Arts, and to all of our guests for your engagement and enthusiasm.
We gratefully acknowledge support from the Community Fund of the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society.