Spencer Museum of Art

Next The origins of the tokonoma, or alcove, can be traced to the practice of early Zen monks in their private study quarters placing a vase of flowers, an incense burner, and other objects on a board laid on the floor in front of a hanging scroll featuring a Buddhist icon. In the Muromachi period the tokonoma became a staple element in the type of architecture known as shoin zukuri [Shoin style]. In formal settings the place of highest honor was in front of the tokonoma, the walls of which could be elaborately decorated with paintings in rich colors on gold leaf. The tea room style adopted the tokonoma for the display of hanging walls or calligraphy. In contrast to the formal style and in keeping with the emphasis on simplicity and rusticity, the tea room tokonoma had plain plastered walls and unpainted posts, sometimes made from unhewn branches. Traditional domestic Japanese architecture is an adaptation of Shoin style architecture. Even today, in most modern Japanese homes featuring carpeting, tables, chairs and such there usually is still a room with tatami matting and a tokonoma. The tokonoma in the Spencer Museum Central Court is a symbolic blending of Zen temple, tea room, and domestic architecture tokonoma.