Silk Routes Sips: From Matcha to Nowruz, Celebrating the World with Tea
Date & Time
Location Main Campus | Beck Building
Drop off at Beck Building
Email Your Questions [email protected]
Silk Routes Sips: From Matcha to Nowruz, Celebrating the World with Tea
Date & Time
Location Main Campus | Beck Building
Drop off at Beck Building
The MFAH and the Dunhuang Foundation, along with the Society of Iranian-American Women for Education (SIAWE), present "Silk Routes Sips," bringing the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) in dialogue with Persian New Year (Nowruz) festivities. The program highlights the connections between Japanese and Persian hospitality cultures as well as the deep histories of exchange across the land and maritime routes referred to as the Silk Routes.
Tickets | SOLD OUT
- Museum admission is required in addition to the free tea ceremony ticket.
Plan Your Visit
- This program takes place at Hirsch Library on the Lower Level of the Beck Building.
- Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map
About the Presenters
Akemi Saitoh began her study of the Japanese tea ceremony in 1978 with the Omotesenke school, transitioning in 2000 to the Urasenke school of tea ceremony. She has since earned the Jun-Kyoju (Associate Teaching) License from Urasenke, recognizing her advanced training and ability to instruct others in the Way of Tea. Saitoh currently serves as assistant executive director of the Urasenke Houston Chapter, and in 2025, she received the prestigious Foreign Minister’s Commendation from the Government of Japan, honoring her leadership in the arts and commitment to cultural exchange between Japan and Houston.
Edwin Ooi is an Urasenke tea practitioner with a postgraduate background in Asian art history from SOAS, University of London. He interprets chanoyu for museum and public audiences, situating the practice within broader Asian cultural and historical contexts.
MFAH World Faiths Initiative
This program is part of the MFAH World Faiths Initiative, which seeks to highlight themes of faith, religion, and spirituality in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Focusing on the many expressions of faith in these collections, the initiative honors the diverse communities of Houston and inspires connections among cultures and beliefs.
Email Your Questions [email protected]
Learning and Interpretation programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, receive generous support from H-E-B; Sempra Foundation; the Brown Foundation, Inc.; the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; the Joe Barnhart Foundation; the Cockrell Family Fund; the CFP Foundation; the Claire & Theodore Morse Foundation; the Junior League of Houston, Inc.; and additional generous donors.
Endowment funds are provided by the Louise Jarrett Moran Bequest; Caroline Wiess Law; Windgate Foundation; the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff; the Fondren Foundation; BMC Software, Inc.; the Wallace Foundation; the Neal Myers and Ken Black Children’s Art Fund; the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation; Medha and Shashank Karve; Virginia and Ira Jackson; Jesse H. Jones II; the CFP Foundation; the Favrot Fund; gifts in memory of John Wynne; Neiman Marcus Youth Arts Education; gifts in memory of Peter Lotz; and gifts in honor of Beth Schneider.