Terms and conditions of use
The seeds of a guide to leaf tea (Senchi tebiki no tane)
1848
Medium
book
Measurements
7.3 × 16.4 × 1.2 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Dr Pam Martin and Paul Martin, 2024
Gallery location
Level 1, NGV International
About this work
Katsushika Ōi was the daughter of Katsushika Hokusai, and although few works are credited to her, she is thought to have assisted or wholly created numerous works that are credited to her father. This rare ‘handbook’ for sencha leaf tea preparation was published by the Yamamotoyama tea company to promote its discovery of gyokuro-cha, a type of green tea grown in the shade, and other associated tea practices. This is one of the few published works that feature Ōi’s printed signature confirming her as the artist. Founded in 1690, Yamamotoyama is the oldest operating tea company in Japan and remains family-owned.