Sencha cup with poem c. 19th century

This sencha cup with poem was made by Ōtagaki Rengetsu, likely in the mid-19th century. Rengetsu was a Buddhist nun, poet, and potter working in Japan. Her work provides insights into the intersection of religious practice and artistic creation. The cup is decorated with a poem, showcasing Rengetsu’s skill as a calligrapher. The poem itself invites us to think about the relationship between aesthetics and meaning, and the way that art objects become imbued with cultural significance. Rengetsu lived through a time of social and political change in Japan, as the country was opening up to the West. Her work can be seen as a response to these changes, a way of preserving traditional values in a rapidly modernizing world. To understand Rengetsu’s cup more deeply, we might look at collections of her poetry, accounts of Buddhist practice in 19th century Japan, and histories of the Japanese tea ceremony.