--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tea is a work of art and needs a master…" description: "\"Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas, as we have good and bad paintings - general..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/okakura-kakuzo-24162_art_tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master_641393.jpg" --- # Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out… ![“Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas, as we have good and bad paintings - generally the latter.” quote by Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/okakura-kakuzo-24162_art_tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master_641393.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/okakura-kakuzo-24162_art_tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master_641393.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/okakura-kakuzo-24162_art_tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master_641393.jpg) > “Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas, as we have good and bad paintings - generally the latter.” [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Tea preparation is an art requiring skill and dedication, similar to painting; quality depends on the maker’s mastery. **In simple terms:** Tea needs skill like art. Key Takeaway Learn and practice tea making. Themes art skill tradition quality Mood calm appreciative Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - hospitality - daily rituals - culinary arts Key Concepts Aesthetics craftsmanship mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How does mastering a craft affect daily life? - What simple rituals bring you joy? A Different Perspective May seem elitist, ignoring simple pleasures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Good and bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-and-bad/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea/) [Works of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works-of-art/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not much of a coffee person, but when I wake up and the sun is shining through the window, I'll get a lil'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flying-lotus/i-m-not-much-of-a-coffee-person-but-when-i-wake-up-and-the-sun-is/) [Flying Lotus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flying-lotus/) > [“I shall bring him his tea and work myself to death by the time I am thirty bearing children and scrubbing floors and working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/i-shall-bring-him-his-tea-and-work-myself-to-death-by-the-time-i-am/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) > [I love playing England. The teas at Lord's are good quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sourav-ganguly/i-love-playing-england-the-teas-at-lord-s-are-good-quality/) [Sourav Ganguly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sourav-ganguly/) > [Teas, Where small talk dies in agonies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/teas-where-small-talk-dies-in-agonies/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [As for drinks, I'm a sucker for flavored teas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-tin/as-for-drinks-i-m-a-sucker-for-flavored-teas/) [Christopher Tin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-tin/) > [Do you have any coffee? (Talon) Ew! No, that stuff will kill you. I have herbal teas, though. (Sunshine) Herbal teas? That’s mulch, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/do-you-have-any-coffee-talon-ew-no-that-stuff-will-kill-you-i-have/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [I like Traditional Medicinals for most teas I drink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-erivo/i-like-traditional-medicinals-for-most-teas-i-drink/) [Cynthia Erivo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-erivo/) > [Before Elle had come into his life, he didn't even know what tea was. Now it was a staple. Worse, he actually knew the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/before-elle-had-come-into-his-life-he-didn-t-even-know-what-tea-was/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [I usually wake up around 9, and the first thing I do is make myself a cup of tea. I drink a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreja-pejic/i-usually-wake-up-around-9-and-the-first-thing-i-do-is-make-myself-a/) [Andreja Pejic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreja-pejic/) > [My mum has a cupboard in her house, and you have to fight an avalanche of tea whenever you open it. I go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samara-weaving/my-mum-has-a-cupboard-in-her-house-and-you-have-to-fight-an-avalanche/) [Samara Weaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samara-weaving/) > [I collect imported teas, I have a few cupboards full! It's like wine, each has it's own flavour and you get into their little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-grace/i-collect-imported-teas-i-have-a-few-cupboards-full-it-s-like-wine/) [Maggie Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-grace/) > [“The usual for me." The usual was a strong infusion of different kinds of Oriental teas, which raised her spirits after her siesta.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/the-usual-for-me-the-usual-was-a-strong-infusion-of-different-kinds/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Men who drink herbal teas are seldom serial killers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/men-who-drink-herbal-teas-are-seldom-serial-killers/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [I love herbal teas and have quite a collection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-lewis/i-love-herbal-teas-and-have-quite-a-collection/) [Denise Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-lewis/) > [That's a wonderful thing, because one of the primary qualities of a good performance is honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-flack/that-s-a-wonderful-thing-because-one-of-the-primary-qualities-of-a/) [Roberta Flack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberta-flack/) ## More by Okakura Kakuzo > [The canvas upon which the artist paints is the spectator's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-canvas-upon-which-the-artist-paints-is-the-spectator-s-mind/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/teaism-is-a-cult-founded-on-the-adoration-of-the-beautiful-among-the/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-art-of-life-is-a-constant-readjustment-to-our-surroundings/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In our common parlance we speak of the man "with no tea" in him, when he is insusceptible to the serio-comic interests of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-our-common-parlance-we-speak-of-the-man-with-no-tea-in-him-when-he/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-joy-or-sadness-flowers-are-our-constant-friends/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [“The Taoist and Zen conception of perfection... the dynamic nature of their philosophy laid more stress upon the process through which perfection was sought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-taoist-and-zen-conception-of-perfection-the-dynamic-nature-of/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Friends are flowers in life's garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/friends-are-flowers-in-life-s-garden/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of-great-things-in-themselves/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The outsider may indeed wonder at this seeming much ado about nothing. What a tempest in a tea-cup! he will say. But when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-outsider-may-indeed-wonder-at-this-seeming-much-ado-about-nothing/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In Japan, I took part in a tea ceremony. You go into a small room, tea is served, and that's it really, except that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-japan-i-took-part-in-a-tea-ceremony-you-go-into-a-small-room-tea/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [A garden is a friend you can visit any time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/a-garden-is-a-friend-you-can-visit-any-time/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a-beverage/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Tea is more than an idealization of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-more-than-an-idealization-of-the-form-of-drinking-it-is-a/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Cares melt when you kneel in your garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/cares-melt-when-you-kneel-in-your-garden/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The Philosophy of Tea is not mere aestheticism ... for it expresses conjointly with ethics and religion our whole point of view about man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-philosophy-of-tea-is-not-mere-aestheticism-for-it-expresses/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) [Explore all 24 Okakura Kakuzo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas, as we have good and bad paintings - generally the latter.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Okakura Kakuzo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master-hand-to-bring-out-its-noblest/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master-hand-to-bring-out-its-noblest/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/okakura-kakuzo-24162_art_tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master_641393.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/okakura-kakuzo-24162_art_tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master_641393.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d5/okakura-kakuzo-24162_art_tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master_641393.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas…” — Okakura Kakuzo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Okakura Kakuzo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Tea is a work of art...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master-hand-to-bring-out-its-noblest/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master-hand-to-bring-out-its-noblest/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```