Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Guth, Christine M. E.

Save Cite Share

Description: Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

BOOKArt, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Christine M. E. Guth

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19184

In this book Christine Guth examines the intimate relationship between art collecting, the tea ceremony, and business through the activities of Masuda Takashi (1848–1938), the highly charismatic director of the Mitsui conglomerate whose opulent life and passionate pursuit of art continue to influence new generations of aspiring business magnates in Japan. An elaborate social ritual in which the worlds of business and art collecting intersected, the tea ceremony guided Masuda in amassing the finest collection of Sino-Japanese art in the early Japanese industrial era. Guth's exploration of his aesthetic ideas deepens our understanding of not only the formation of the canon of Japanese art but also the role of art in the ideology of early modern Japan.

At a time when there were few art museums in Japan and Japanese art was becoming internationally known, Masuda's tea gatherings functioned as a salon where his colleagues, other collectors, and art dealers could view, discuss, and handle works of art. Under his influence, art collecting and mastery of the tea ceremony became integral parts of the business training and activities of Mitsui executives. Masuda's collection was rich in calligraphy, ink painting, lacquer, and ceramics, but it was especially noted for its Buddhist painting and sculpture. These works, which were dispersed after World War II, are now in museums and private collections throughout Japan and the United States.

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Print publication date January 1993 (out of print)

Print ISBN 9780691032061

EISBN 9780300252101

Illustrations 77

Print Status out of print

Publisher (out of print)

WorldCat

Google Books

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access

List of illustrations

Portrait of Masuda Takashi
Portrait of Masuda Takashi
Portrait of Masuda Takashi
Portrait of Nagai Shige (Baroness Uryū) while a student at Vassar
Katatsuki Tea Caddy (Kitano)
Painting Party
Han-shan and Shih-te (J. Kanzan and Jittoku)
The Newly Opened Port of Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, detail
Suzuribako with Design of Eight-Plank Bridge, from the Tales of Ise
Decorated Paper in the Shape of a Fan
Temmyō Water Kettle (Taya Itome)
Shino Plate with Half-Wheel Motif
Seto Tea Caddy (Hakuro)
Raku Teabowl (Dontarō)
E-Korai Teabowl
Ha-ha Bird
Dwelling in the Mountains
Shonzui Water Jar
The First Patriarch, the Great Master Bodhidharma
Bucket-shaped Shigaraki Water Jar
Black Raku Teabowl (Donko) and box
Mount Utsu, from The Tales of Ise
Pair of Teabowls with Overglaze Gold and Silver Enamels
Old Iga Flower Vase
Black Raku Teabowl (Shichiri)
Masuda Kantō (fragment of patola cotton)
The Tale of Genji, illustration from Suzumushi Chapter
The Story of Fukutomi, detail
Hell of Shrieking Sounds, detail
Portrait of Yasuda Zenjirō
Portrait of Inoue Kaoru
Kōya-gire, from the Kanbokujō Album of Calligraphy
Performance of Tsuchigumo by Kikugoro V at Inoue Kaour's Mansion
Bamboo Tea Scoop (Kiyomigaseki)
Old Seto Tea Caddy (Hirano) and Four Accompanying Brocade Bags
Buddha Śākyamuni Preaching on the Vulture Peak
Byakku-e Kannon, White-robed Bodhisattva of Compassion
Kujaku Myōō
Two-Character Fragment of Tsu yu Ming (Zayu no Mei)
Passage from Commentary on the Sutra of Golden Light
The Secret Five Bodhisattvas (Gohimitsu Bosatsu)
Iconographic Drawing of Daiitoku Myōō
Portrait of Masuda in Tearoom of His Odawara Estate
Lacquer Shrine Panels with Maki-e Design of Lotus Flowers and Bishamonten
Illustrated Sutra of Cause and Effects, Past and Present
Heavenly Musician (Apsaras) from Hōryūji
Heavenly Bird from Hōryūji
Fukūkenjaku Kannon
Statue of Tobatsu Bishamonten
Wing of a Portable Wooden Shrine
Portrait of Masuda Surrounded by Female Members of His Family
Kōchi Incense Container in Shape of a Tortoise
Tea Caddy (Kokushi Nasu)
Morning Dove on a Peach Branch
Lacquer Writing Box with Maki-e Design of Courtier under Cherry Tree
Bo Ya Plays the Qin as Zhong Ziqi Listens
Poetess Koigimi from Satake Version of Thirty-six Immortal Poets
Flower Container (Sekaiha)
Hawks, detail
Portrait of Masuda Takashi, His Brothers, and Two Guests at a Tea Gathering
Ōkyokan, exterior view
Ōkyokan, interior view
Haku'undō Teahouse
Rinshunkaku Villa
Old Ashiya Kettle (Nuregarasu)
Ernest F. Fenollosa
Portrait of Charles Freer with Hara Tomitarō and Family in Japan
Arhat Kanaka-Bhāradvāja
Lacquer Sutra Box with Maki-e Design of Lotus Waterfowl
Standing Images of Shō Kannon
The Deity Brahma, one of a pair
Standing Indra (Taishakuten), one of a pair
Poem Scroll with Deer, detail
Monument to Charles Lang Freer
Basket Used as a Flower Vase
Swift Bull, from the Ten Swift Bulls
Ishiyame-gire from the Anthology of Thirty-six Immortal Poets

Free

Contents

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Contents

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.001

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19185

Read

Free

Illustrations

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Illustrations

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.002

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19186

Read

Free

Acknowledgments

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Acknowledgments

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.003

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19187

Read

Introduction

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Masuda Takashi’s death on December 28, 1938, at the age of ninety brought to a close the golden age of Japanese art collecting...

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.3-13

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.004

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19188

Chapter subject tags:Mitsui familyMeiji period, 1868-1912Masuda, Takashi, 1848-1938Japanese tea ceremony--UtensilsArt--Collectors and collecting--Japan

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access

1. The Lacquer Writing Box

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Masuda’s lifelong passion for art collecting began in 1878 with the purchase of a lacquer box containing a writing brush, inkstone, inkwell, and inkstick—the implements traditionally used by the cultivated gentleman for writing and painting...

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.14-40

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.005

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19189

Chapter subject tags:Masuda, Takashi, 1848-1938Decorative arts--JapanMeiji period, 1868-1912Japan--Civilization--Western influencesJapanese tea ceremony--UtensilsJapanese literatiLacquer and lacquering--JapanArt--Collectors and collecting--Japan

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access

2. Art Collecting and Chanoyu

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

If Masuda’s encounter with the West provoked his interest in art collecting, it did not guide it. His vision of himself as a collector...

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.41-71

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.006

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19190

Chapter subject tags:Japanese tea ceremonyWabiRaku potteryJapanese tea ceremony--UtensilsMasuda, Takashi, 1848-1938Decorative arts--JapanJapan--Civilization--Chinese influencesCalligraphy, Japanese--HistoryCalligraphy, Japanese--Chinese influencesJapanese tea mastersArt--Collectors and collecting--Japan

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access

3. A Taste for Tea

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

In 1869, when invited to the private apartment of his then employer, tea trader Nakaya Seibeie, Masuda mistook a bamboo tea scoop for a knife and, to the horror of the tea master Takahashi...

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.72-99

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.007

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19191

Chapter subject tags:Japanese tea ceremonyMeiji period, 1868-1912Japanese tea ceremony--UtensilsJapanese tea mastersKanō SchoolMasuda, Takashi, 1848-1938Art--Collectors and collecting--JapanDecorative arts--Japan

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access

4. From Temple to Tearoom

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Masuda’s purchase of a calligraphic fragment by the ninth-century monk Kōbō Daishi (Kūkai: 774–835) was the impetus for his inauguration...

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.100-128

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.008

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19192

Chapter subject tags:Shingon (Sect)Japanese tea ceremonyJapanese tea ceremony--UtensilsMasuda, Takashi, 1848-1938Buddhism--Japan--HistoryFenollosa, Ernest, 1853-1908Art--Collectors and collecting--Japan

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access

5. The New Daimyo

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

During the first quarter of the twentieth century, when the personal fortunes of Japan’s leading entrepreneurs reached new heights...

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.129-160

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.009

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19193

Chapter subject tags:Mitsui familyJapanese tea ceremony--UtensilsJapanese tea ceremonyMasuda, Takashi, 1848-1938Decorative arts--JapanScrolls, JapaneseArt--Collectors and collecting--Japan

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access

6. National Treasures

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Following his retirement from Mitsui in 1913, Masuda added to his renown as a businessman and collector a reputation as a leader...

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.161-191

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.010

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19194

Chapter subject tags:Masuda, Takashi, 1848-1938Cultural property--JapanFenollosa, Ernest, 1853-1908Freer, Charles Lang, 1854-1919Art--Collectors and collecting--Japan

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access

Conclusion

Christine M. E. Guth

Art, Tea, and Industry: Masuda Takashi and the Mitsui Circle

Although it is generally acknowledged that the timetables of cultural and political change rarely coincide, it is widely held, both in Japan and in the West...

Author

Christine M. E. Guth

PublisherPrinceton University Press

Related print edition pages: pp.192-195

https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00024.011

Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-19195

Chapter subject tags:Japan--History--Restoration, 1853-1870Cultural property--JapanMasudaArt--Collectors and collecting--JapanMasuda, Takashi, 1848-1938

Access to this content is only available to subscribers. If you are at an institution that currently subscribes to the A&AePortal, please login to your VPN before accessing the site. If you have already purchased an individual subscription, please sign in to your account to access the content. Learn more about subscriptions.

Get access