The Tea Ceremony

Tea utensils that have been admired for generations are referred to as Ôfamous piecesÕ. Those treasured before Rikyu, including the Higashiyama collection, are called Ôgreat famous piecesÕ, while those of the Rikyu-Oribe period (1543-1615) are simply Ôfamous piecesÕ. Those of EnshuÕs time (1579-1647) are Ômiddle famous piecesÕ.
Hideyoshi came to Kyoto in 1569 where wealthy merchants were successful in persuading him that his prestige required collection of famous pieces. Hideyoshi gave orders for this to be done, initiating the so-called Ôfamous piece huntsÕ. The following year he made purchases in Sakai and then began looking throughout the country. He arrogantly obtained everything and built up a colossal collection. Many items were destroyed at the Honno-ji Incident.
Important tea wares were symbols of power, wealth and authority. They were admired by rich townspeople and warriors, but absorbitantly expensive, hence their association with hegemony and rulership. The arrogation of famous pieces was a kind of insubordination. The trade in these objects became part of Sengoku politics and gift-exchange, with daimyo giving them to superiors or lower people to consolidate alliances. Hideyoshi rewarded his battlemates with them, which was a way of signifying that they were part of his orbit or authority.
Hideyoshi acquired many of NobunagaÕs pieces, and at the Daitoku-ji Sogen-in tea gathering of 1591, and again at the Great Kitano tea gathering of two years later, he showed them off.