Japan, circa 1885, attributed to Adolfo Farsari

Requiring extensive training in the use of literally hundreds of tools and implements, the tea ceremony in Japan is a nearly thousand year-old ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism and honoring the principles of Wa Kei Sei Jaku (harmony, respect, purity and tranquility). This image, attributed to the Italian Adolfo Farsari, shows two geisha who appear on the cusp of understanding this precept as well as the fact that the tea ceremony is less about drinking tea and more about the aesthetics of how it is done.