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A Required Taste

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A Required Taste Tea Classics A Required Taste Tea Culture Among 16th Century Literary Circles as Seen Through the Paintings of Wen Zhengming 一 個 茶人: Michelle Huang 必 修 Some of the authors we are translating in this issue are very 品 well known to Chinese scholars and laymen alike. And even 味 if these specific authors weren’t known to a Chinese reader, 文 they at least would have studied enough Chinese history to contextualize these works in the Ming Dynasty: its culture, 徵 art and politics. Also, we only got to read parts of Wen’s 明 “Superfluous Things,” those having to do with tea, so this -ar 的 ticle on his life and times by our local Chinese art historian, Michelle, who has contributed to many past issues of Global 畫 Tea Hut, can help us all to construct a bit of Ming China in our imaginations and thereby enrich our reading of the texts. en Zhengming 文徵明 tivity for literary figures since the dawn most other gentlemen to work on his W (1470–1559) was a of civilization, the booming economy art and tea-related research. He wrote a famous artist in the late and the increasing availability of pub- systematic commentary on an existing Ming Dynasty in Suzhou, which was lic transportation since the 15th centu- work, the Record of Tea by Cai Xiang a hot spot for literary figures. He came ry in China made it easier for people (1012–1067),3 which was titled Com- from a family of generations of officials to travel longer distances. As a result, mentary on the Record of Dragon Tea and grew up with another popular lit- high-end restaurants and taverns began Cakes.4 erary figure, Tang Yin,1 who became a to emerge all over China. In addition, One of Wen Zhengming’s works is high-ranking official when he was 28. many high officials and aristocrats in a hand scroll depicting a trip to Mount Wen had a bumpy journey pursuing southern China built gardens stretch- Hui, a mountain whose water was re- officialdom, as he lacked the requisite ing hundreds of acres to receive their nowned as the finest for brewing tea. talent for essay-writing. He made nu- friends and to avoid having to mingle In the year 1518, when Wen was 49 merous attempts at sitting the official with the common people. One of the years old, he traveled to Mount Hui national examinations that were held most prestigious gardens in Suzhou, with several officials, including Wang every three years, and failed nine times! the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Chong, Wang Shou,5 Cai Yu and Despite his attempts, Wen failed to ob- owned by Wang Xianchen,2 was made three others. Wang Chong and Wang tain an official title for several decades. famous by Wen Zhengming’s writing Shou were two brothers who often He eventually obtained a petty title and paintings. Apparently, Wen often frequented the Humble Administra- through connections when he was 53, stayed at the poshest gardens in Su- tor’s Garden, although they were of no only to resign 3 years later, finding the zhou as their owners’ honored guest. immediate relation to the owner. Like world of officialdom too hostile. Nev- Wen was so prudent (and probably Wen, Wang Chong had not had much ertheless, he was popular among high even intolerant of alcohol) that he re- luck forging a career as an official, society and his calligraphy and paint- fused to drink more than six cups of and he also excelled in calligraphy. In ings were very highly sought-after. wine at any given party. So, he pre- fact, Wen Zhengming, Wang Chong In the 15th and 16th centuries, of- ferred to go to tea-drinking literary and Zhu Yunming6 were the three ficials often held literary gatherings gatherings to avoid the pressure to im- most famous calligraphers in Suzhou where they would drink wine, compose bibe. In one of his poems, he said “I during the 15th and 16th centuries. poems, and sometimes even paint and do not drink wine, but I do get drunk Wen Zhengming and Wang Chong write calligraphy together. Although on tea.” Partly because he had never had been planning to take a trip to visiting learned friends and drinking held an official title before the age of Mount Hui to taste the famously wine together had been a common ac- 53, he had much more free time than pure and sweet spring water for years. 39 惠 山 茶 會 圖 Notes 1) Tang Yin (唐寅, 1470–1524) was one surviving record of the garden’s name was Above: “Tea Gathering at Mount of the most popular literary figures in the found in Wen’s letter to the owner in 1517 Hui,” 1518. Wen is reminiscing on one Ming Dynasty. He passed the local official thanking him for a lovely summer. The of his favorite trips, tasting the most examination when he was 16 and earned garden lost part of its original site to a mu- famous tea with the best spring water the title of champion (jieyuan, 解元) in the seum, so it is now only 560 acres in size. from Mount Hui. One can only imagine Nanjing provincial exam when he was 28. 3) Cai Xiang’s (蔡襄, 1012–1067) Record the pristine Nature, clear, sweet water However, his lower-class upbringing and of Tea (茶錄) is one of the most important and gorgeously vibrant tea produced by great sense of humor made it difficult for writings on tea from the Song Dynasty. a world relatively free of pollution. See- him to excel in high society. So he stopped ing a depiction of ancient Chajin enjoy- 4) Wen’s commentary is called Longcha Lu pursuing officialdom and instead traveled ing teas outdoors inspires us to head out Kao (龍茶錄考) in Chinese. extensively, visiting powerful people and to the mountains and make some tea. It producing many paintings and works of 5) The two brothers were Wang Chong also should inspire us to want to pro- calligraphy. There are many comedic short (王寵, 1494–1533) and Wang Shou (王守). tect the environment and revolutionize stories centered around Tang Yin fre- how we live and produce commodities quenting brothels that poke fun at other 6) Zhu Yunming (祝允明, 1460–1526) was so that we too can one day drink from officials and moralists. a prodigy who passed the local official ex- amination when he was 17 and the provin- famous rivers, wells and springs! 2) The Humble Administrator’s Gar- cial one when he was 32, but he never got den (Zhuo Zhengyuan, 拙政園), whose into the national level after that. He was name literally means “the garden of those famous for his “crazy” running script that who are awkward in politics,” is a now a would look like incomprehensible scribble UNESCO world heritage site. The earliest to most Chinese. 40 Classics of Tea Even though it was only 60 kilometers After Cai’s written passage re- artisans but not good painters. He be- (40 miles) from Wen’s home in Su- ports the factual information about lieved that there were three different zhou to Mt. Hui, it would have taken the whole event, the painting is then kinds of perspective in painting. A them weeks just to walk to the foot- revealed to the viewers bit by bit. We good painter will internalize the pan- hills surrounding the mountain. They first see a big boulder at the very begin- orama and then transform the entire arranged to visit Cai Yu’s teacher, who ning, followed by a dense bamboo for- experience into an overall impression, lived near the mountain. The traveling est with several tall pine trees. Among which he then embodies in a coher- party came prepared with their favorite the thick forest, two gentlemen are ent painting. Therefore, those who tea and all the cauldrons, teapots and talking and enjoying nature. Then, made structurally correct drawings of utensils they would need to savor the two more gentlemen are sitting and architecture to the point that even the best brew of their lives. The hand scroll chatting around a well, below a hut. To mortise system under the roof was de- depicting this expedition begins with the left of the hut, two servants, most- picted faithfully might have excellent an inscription written by Cai Yu about ly obscured by a pine tree, are brewing fine motor skills, but they could not the details of the trip: “On the day of tea while another gentleman watches. be classified as good painters. Chinese the Qingming Festival, the seven of us In front of the crouching servant and literary figures who enjoyed painting stopped at a pavilion with two springs the low orange table stands a type were clearly conscious that they paint- on the hills of Mt. Hui, and poured of portable stove, which was called a ed to express their sentiments, emo- the spring water into Wang’s cauldron. “gentleman of principle”8 at the time. tions and perceptions rather than to We made the thrice-boiled hot water It has a big teardrop-shaped opening record what they saw with their phys- and enjoyed the tea...”7 In the passage, in the front panel for coal and a wa- ical eyes. “thrice-boiled” hot water refers to the ter kettle on the top. There are several With this ideology in mind, we can proper boiling technique, where the other objects such as water jars, a box now come back to view this painted water must be boiled until the bubbles (probably full of other smaller utensils) hand scroll from the beginning again.
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