2025 Poster Session

In 2019, the National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) received a collection of nearly two hundred items in the Kinsey Chanoyu Collection, which stems from Gregory Kinsey’s lifelong devotion to the practice of chanoyu. A former trustee of the NMAA, Kinsey offered his collection to the museum, the majority of which were accessioned into the Freer Study Collection for the purpose of using them in public programs focusing on the traditional preparation of Japanese tea. Sixteen pieces were accessioned into the Freer’s permanent collection due to their historical and artistic significance, with accompanying provenance documentation, and consequently will not be used in tea demonstrations.  

This presentation will discuss the collaborative process undertaken by museum staff and tea practitioners in order to establish protocols for the preparation and active use of the Kinsey Chanoyu Collection. Prior to receiving the collection, tea demonstrations were held at the museum with materials brought in for the occasion. With this new donation, however, a process needed to be established that could safely incorporate the use of a portion of the museum collection and a new Collections Use Procedure specific to these materials had to be developed. Potential damage to collection materials during use, who would be handling the objects during the demonstration, and care of objects before and after use all needed to be considered in the appropriate context of traditional tea practice. Preliminary research indicated that along with NMAA, other museums in the United States were not using accessioned objects in tea demonstrations. As a result, conservations among stakeholders were vital and the different concerns and perspectives of the many voices involved, including tea practitioners, conservation, collections management, curatorial, and public programs had to be considered. Museum colleagues who work with collections used in other ceremonial contexts also were consulted for advice and potential models that could be applied.  

NMAA held its first tea demonstration using the Kinsey Chanoyu Collection in April 2024 with the Urasenke Tea Ceremony Association of Washington, DC (Chado Urasenke Tankokai Washington, DC) and there are plans for subsequent demonstrations each year to rotate among tea practitioners.  This initial collaboration has been essential in creating understanding between the participating stakeholders, as well as assessing the role of visitors and the impact of public interaction on the collection. The protocol for use of the Kinsey Chanoyu Collection is still developing but this initial work provides a roadmap for future tea demonstrations and the need for continued collaboration and exchange.