Tan’an Tea House
Tan’an is a traditional Japanese tearoom (chashitsu) that is part of a larger structure built in the sukiya-zukuri (attached tearoom) style favored by the Kyoto aristocracy during the early Edo period (1603–1868). Architectural elements throughout the structure such as ceilings of various materials and angles, as well as natural, unadorned materials like bare wood and earthen walls reflect the influence of the teahouses built at the Katsura Imperial Villa from 1620, which became the model for the classic, rustic teahouse.
The central area of Tan’an is an eight-mat reception room based on the shoin-zashiki style, with tatami mats, sliding paper screens and doors, a spacious veranda that extends along the entire length of the south side, and a decorative alcove (tokonoma). The entrance way (genkan) faces west, and a mizuya for preparing tea and utensils is situated behind the reception room to the north.
The smaller, three-mat tearoom is situated on the east side of the structure. It is thought to have been modeled on Teigyokuken, a famous tearoom at the Shinjuan subtemple of Daitokuji Temple that was favored by tea master Kanamori Sowa (1584–1656). There is a sunken hearth in the center of the room, a decorative alcove, and the area where the host sits is set off by a naturally branching timber that serves as a pillar.
Tan’an was donated to the museum in 1958 by Ueda Tan’ichiro, an aficionado of the tea ceremony, and was originally located on the south side of the Meiji Kotokan. It was moved to its current location in the museum’s East Garden in 1966. At that time, the roof of thatched straw and bark shingles was replaced with sheet copper, and the garden and the room behind the mizuya were renovated as well.