Re: [chado] Digest for chado-way-of-tea@googlegroups.com - 4 Messages in 1 Topic

[Edward Sienkiewicz]

My Sensei always told us that black kimono was too formal for Chado.  I have been involved in the tea world for 30 some years and haven't ever seen a Tea person in black kimono when participating in a Tea Event.  Even in very formal situations the kimono was never plain black, but decorated with one's "Mon"

Ed

San Francisco, CA USA

On Sep 4, 2011, at 4:24 AM, chado-way-of...@googlegroups.com wrote:

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• Abridged summary of chado-wa...@googlegroups.com - 2 Messages in 1 Topic [4 Updates]

 Topic: Abridged summary of chado-wa...@googlegroups.com - 2 Messages in 1 Topic

Emmet Bondurant <emmet.b...@gmail.com> Sep 03 09:40AM -0700 ^

 
Because my only exposure to folks in black kimono is Zen (although in
our tradition we wear brown).
 

 

"Marius Frøisland" <muhi...@gmail.com> Sep 03 07:26PM +0200 ^

 
For tea black is a no color for students in Urasenke. I'm certain of this.
It is a formal color in other settings. But remember that tea etiquette is
more restrictive than normal Japanese etiquette. I think the use of black
would be a larger breach of etiquett in tea than for a beginning student in
a martial art to done a black belt. And the cost of buying a kimono that you
can't use is much larger than a martial arts belt. Stick with safe colors
(brown, green, blue, and grey) if you can. During my 1 year in Kyoto where I
studied tea fulltime I never ever saw someone dressed in a black kimono for
tea. I did see them for wedings and such, but never for tea. Even the grand
tea master and his most senior teachers use the "safe" colors and a jitoku.
 
Marius
 
 
 
 
On Sat, Sep 3, 2011 at 6:40 PM, Emmet Bondurant
 
--
mvh
 
Marius Frøisland
- http://www.linkedin.com/in/mariusfroisland
- http://wiki.chado.no
- http://mfro.blogspot.com/

 

Ahmad Saqfalhait <saqfa...@gmail.com> Sep 04 02:21AM +0300 ^

 
Thanks for all the input. Good thing I ordered a grey one. :)
 
2011/9/3 Marius Frøisland <muhi...@gmail.com>
 

 

Aaron <abry...@gmail.com> Sep 03 09:41PM -0700 ^

 
Black is fine if it is the only thing you have, tea is after all a
formal event; however, black is the most formal color and considered a
little too stiff for most tea gatherings. It might be thought of as a
little too showy. If the kimono has mon they are usually worn at
formal events such as weddings and funerals. If it has no mon or has
a pattern woven into it, it is considered less formal and a little
more normal for tea. The jutoku Marius spoke of is a jacket worn over
any color of kimono, traditionally by men with chamei or in Kyoto, by
the higher level teachers. If you see pictures of people wearing
black for tea it is usually one of these jackets. We generally
discourage people from wearing black kimono, but like I said, if it is
all you have it is OK, in tea it is a little better to overdress if
you have to.

 

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[Nick]

In my (non-Urasenke) experience with tea, both in Japan and elsewhere, black kimonos are quite common.  Evidently Ura has different, and very specific rules for kimono than other schools, in which black kimono (sometimes with mon, sometimes without, according to the formality of the event) are quite acceptable.  Interesting.