As in previous years, the museum's event will be led by Kagami Kai, a San Francisco-based group dedicated to maintaining the Japanese tradition of mochi pounding, or mochitsuki, where glutinous steamed rice is pounded into delectable soft, chewy cakes. To inspire the communal spirit usually associated with mochitsuki, people of all ages are encouraged to try their hand at swinging the wooden mallets that pound the wet rice paste and afterwards, taste the result of their hard work.
This lively ceremony is an interactive performance, complete with music, dance, and costumes. The festivities will continue with a hands-on art activity for the entire family. Visitors will also have the opportunity to stroll the museum's permanent collection galleries, shop in the museum store, refresh at Cafe Asia, and view the special exhibition Pioneers of Philippine Art: Luna, Amorsolo, Zóbel on its closing weekend. The mochi pounding party is free after museum admission, and children 12 and under are lways admitted free.
Oshogatsu (Japanese New Year; literally, new month) is the most important time of the year for most Japanese, a joyous time imbued with good feelings and nostalgia. Once essential to the New Year
celebration, the time-consuming practice of mochitsuki is now rare even in Japan, as busy people eat store-bought mochi rather than make their own. Traditionally, glutinous rice is washed and soaked overnight on the evening before the pounding.
The next morning the rice is steamed. It is then carried to the usu (large mortar) and is pounded with a kine (wooden mallet) while someone else continues to turn it and keep it wet so it doesn't stick to the mallet. Once the mass is soft and smooth, it is pulled into various sizes and shapes (often round). It can be enjoyed a variety of ways: fresh, with different sauces, sweet stuffing, or with seaweed. An offering to the kani (deity), called kagami-mochi, or okasane, is comprised of two mochi cakes usually placed on a sheet of pure white paper in the center of a wooden tray. Kagamimochi at New Year is an auspicious gesture that signifies hope for a happy and bright year ahead.
San Francisco's Kagami Kai was founded nearly twenty years ago when Tetsu Takatani first came to the United States. Longing for the taste of fresh mochi, he decided to make his own equipment in hopes of preserving the mochitsuki custom and sharing it with the Bay Area community. Kagami Kai performs demonstrations at local nursing homes, schools, and Japanese festivals throughout the year.
About the Asian Art Museum
The Asian Art Museum is a public institution whose mission is to lead a diverse global audience in discovering the unique material, aesthetic, and intellectual achievements of Asian art and culture. Holding nearly 16,000 Asian art treasures spanning 6,000 years of history, the museum is one of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art. Once located in Golden Gate Park, the museum now resides at its new, expanded facility at Civic Center Plaza. An architectural gem featuring a dynamic blend of beaux arts and modern design elements, the museum's new home is the result of a dramatic transformation of San Francisco's former main library by acclaimed architect Gae Aulenti (designer of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris) into a showcase for the museum's renowned collection and exhibitions.
By www.asianart.org
Posted January 2nd, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
