- In principle, everything that has a lid can be a 茶器 and can be theoretically used for 濃茶 or 薄茶 (KM26). For 濃茶, you want something more formal or traditional; 薄茶 can be a bit more playful. Where you draw those lines, however, depends on your sensitivity and having a good reason if deviating from the norm.
- It terms of handling, there are 3 important categories. The lid position is the same for 薄茶 and 濃茶.
| Category | Lid Position |
|---|---|
| 茶入 | 3 o'clock |
| 棗 | 4:30 o'clock |
| Rest | 6 o'clock |
- KM26 and I figured that whether you do
胴拭き (the turning of the 茶器 to purify its body) depends on whether the 茶器 came onto the stage in a 仕覆 or not. The 大津袋 allows you to use an item without 仕覆 for 濃茶, but then it doesn't get purified as much. (The 仕覆 really acts as a “beatifying agent” here.) The 四方捌, however, is something reserved for 濃茶. - The purifyication of non-茶入 茶器 repends on the shape of the top part. If it has rounded corners, you clean it in a こ way, it not, then with two straight strokes (ニ).
- Cleaning for 拝見, this is my conjecture, has the following rules: If the tea was only scooped for 濃茶, then there's no cleaning of the rim (like in 台天目). For 薄茶, however, the rim is always cleaned (even though you only scoop).
茶入
- Traditionally ceramic, but you find them also made from glass. So if you're looking for a fixed definition, you could say: “A 茶入 needs to be fired”. A genealogical argument, however, might be better suited (if it's trying to be a 茶入, it's a 茶入).
- Some famous shapes:
槍の鞘 , of which 不昧 also had one made by the founder of a Seto kiln, としろう I.- 大海, of course, named so because the tea when seen through the opening looks like the big sea between Japan and China 1). It's supposedly what
栄西 used to bring in tea seeds from China. 米市 , named so by 小堀遠州 and thus a 中興名物, because it looks like a bale of rice straw. The golden brocade carries the name of the 茶入.
- Storage: white_dew.pdf explains that the “proper” 茶入 is wrapped in a 'storage' 仕覆, and then in her wood-turned jar (
挽家 , boxes etc; and that they may have different 'display' 仕覆 for 真, 行 and 草. - Theoretically, you could use them also for 薄茶, in which case you present them without 仕覆 and
棗
- impressive document listing different types and their 好み-ers. No clue where I got it from 🤷
- I think Burkus somewhere explains that the 棗 is modeled after the 茶入's 挽家:
| 茶入 | 棗 |
|---|---|
| 大海 | 平棗 |
| 肩付 | 長棗 |
| 文林 | 中棗 |
Rest
Here, we have a whole bunch of items, some with more established traditions:
- 四滴茶入 (misleadingly named, since the lid still goes to 6 o'clock). For those, HS showed me a little dance to remember their four shapes.
- Among those is the handled つるつき. Here the 茶杓 goes throug the handle. For purifying, first clean the front, then turn CW 90° to clean the back (both straight).
- For the 割蓋 手桶 that I have, KR25 and I conjecture: Clean like above, either turning back before setting down, or turning as you set it down. For scooping, however, turn CCW by 90°, flip the lid of the front (now to the R) and put it on the other side of the handle. For presenting it during 拝見 and during 拝見 itself, also rest the front lid on the back side.
- 中次
- 吹雪, named so because top and bottom look the same (like when you're in a snow storm).
- 金輪寺
- …