- 茶碗 moves closer after adding hot water and 茶筌
- Put 荘道具 on a 古帛紗, usually putting it out before cleaning the item (茶碗, 茶入), and for 拝見.
- Don't put stuff on 環次, they are still plain ol' 和物.
There are the obvious items that can be 荘-ied (茶杓, 茶碗, 茶入; 軸, 壺), but there are lots of 点前 that allow you to showcase other special 道具:
| 道具 | 点前 |
|---|---|
| 香合 | 盆香合 |
| 水指 | 茶筅 荘 put it on a 長板 |
| 建水 | Not something you'd really want to show off, but it's quite exposed during 流点 in 炉 |
| water | 名水点 |
| 花入 | 花所望 |
| 釜 | Not really done, because you can see it well during the 席入り |
| 炭-related 道具 | 炭所望 |
| tea | 茶通箱, 包帛紗 |
| 古帛紗 | 和巾 (even though it's actually more about the tea) |
| 蓋置 | No special 点前, but if the guests are interested, they can also ask to 拝見 it. |
For the obvious items, the item in question will be in the 床 at the beginning of the 茶事. If it's a 軸, 壺, the first guest will ask to see the item right at the beginning of the 茶事, after the general round of greetings. For the 茶杓, 茶碗, 茶入, the 拝見 happens in due course, asking about the ごゆいしょう.
Note that the item itself might not need to be special, but instead it's history needs to be. Because of that, the reverence for the 道具 during the 点前 is temporary only, and for 茶入 and 茶碗 ends at some points within the 点前.
茶杓, 茶碗, 茶入, 茶筅
During 中立, the host decorates the 水指, which doesn't necessarily need to have a lacquered lid (Miya 25), is decorated. This 点前 is not done with a 棚.
To decorate: Bring in the 水指, fill it, then enter with a help 茶碗 arranged as always, placing it directly in front of the 水指 and unloading the former onto the latter. If the lid is lacquered, make sure the 茶筅 doesn't touch it! (But it doesn't have to be lacquer.) Then come back with the real 茶碗 with the 茶入 in it.
The first 3 will be wrapped in something, resting of a 帛紗:
- 茶碗 is wrapped in 御物袋（ごもつぶくろ）
- 茶入 in its 仕覆
- 茶杓 in its storage tube
During 拝見, those items are then put on a 古帛紗.
- All as usual: 茶碗 moved with both hands when the 茶入 is in.
- Because the 茶巾 is already out of the bowl, the bowl is moved closer with hot water and 茶筅 already in with both hands. Normally, it is moved closer with one hand with the 茶巾 in it.
茶入
- Put out 古帛紗 before starting 四方捌き the 茶入. (Still, put it down with one hand; even though some might support it. But it's not a 名物, just a good ol' 茶入!
- Move the 茶入 together with the 古帛紗 with both hands to the right when closing. (Go in from the corners to the centre, and support 茶入 with the thumbs.)
- When cleaning for 拝見, put 帛紗 in front of right knee, and lid above it (not on the 古帛紗). Again, go in from the bottom two corners to turn it. Sort, then take in 帛紗.
⚠️ In 和巾, it's different: Here you first take the 帛紗, then you turn and sort on 環次
- Guests asks: 茶入の御由緒（ごゆいしょう）は？
- After 拝見, take 茶入 (sans 古帛紗) inside your 畳, fold the 古帛紗 and take it into 着物; then take 茶入 as always.
茶碗
- 茶碗: Always handled with both hands! (Except when spilling water into the 建水.) That is, until 水指 lid is closed, then the show is over, and it's moved with one hand. You'd handle it anyway with both hands when the 茶入 or 茶筌 are in it, but when you put it down after purifying, you notice it's a 荘 situation.
- When the tea is ready, pick up the 茶碗 with 2 hands, turn to 0° (炉), and turn the 茶碗 on the floor (like a tray). Then put out the 古帛紗. (L with R supporting).
- Scoot back, wait with the hands on the floor behind your knees. When the bowl is taken and the かげん is けっこ, then scoot back forward.
- When drinking, 茶碗 stays on the 古帛紗, and also for 拝見, so it's really easy (↔️ normal 濃茶 with 古帛紗: drink with k., but last guest separated and then 拝見 is done separately).
- When it comes back, talk about the 茶碗 while you're facing the guests. Then take it in (leaving the 古帛紗 where it is), then get the 古帛紗.
- There is also a 薄茶 with this 点前: Here, you put the 棗 on a 帛紗 in the 茶碗.
茶杓
* This is really simple, there's only the use of the 古帛紗 when getting the 茶杓 for 拝見.
- When picking up 茶杓, face 0° after placing 茶入, get out 古帛紗 onto L, and transport 茶杓 on it.
- After 拝見, 茶杓 is transported on the 仕覆, and 古帛紗 in 着物. Placed on plain floor when saying bye.
茶筅
- You'd think this would be for showing off a special 茶筅, but there's such a thing. Rather, this is used when a special 水指 is used, or a 釜.
- The guest may (but doesn't have to) ask after 総礼 what the special item is, and then ask if later they can 拝見 it. They know they have to ask, because there was nothing in the 床 during the first half of the 茶事.
- However, with Miya we discussed that if the 水指 does have a 仕覆, why not display the 水指 in the 床?
- Start normal 拝見, but leave the door open after leaving with the 水指.
- Official way is to then come back with the 水指, without lid, wrapped in a clean white towel. This you put directly in front of the first guest, who should have gone to fetch the 道具 in the meantime, and have them by his side.
- To view it, unfold the towel, and turn it (like a 茶壺, but holding it normally because there's nothing in it)
- Last guest brings back to door after bringing the other 道具 to the first guest.
- However, Miya suggested that you might bring it in on a 長盆, which you've lined with some fabric. You could also have a white towel on the tray for 拝見, and also put a lid on it, if you wanted to!
軸荘, 壺荘
- According to the vocabulary, you can also present the scroll on a 軸盆!
- Cut a strip of mulberry wood (or just calligraphy paper) to fit in between the metal parts of the scroll. That strip fold in thirds, and cut away one third, leaving the other two folded. The folded side faces the guest.
- Insert paper under the futai, then wrap around to find the good length. Fold there; then flip and insert the folded part under futai.
- Place 帛紗 in 床 as you would then later take it away again, even though the わさ will face げざ.
- By the way, げざ is where the 床柱 is.
- Then the 茶事 begins, the guest will slide forward to say something; then the main guest will say '拝見いたしく存じます。
- Only roll it up in the back up to the lower border of the jiku, if at all (if necessary).
