• 台子 brought from China to Japan in 1267 by a monk together with a 皆具 set and this came to be used for preparing tea. At first in a separate room, then, around 1450, in front of the guests; still with the 台子.
• 珠光 replaced the 真台子 by a bamboo one; and Jōō was then the first to deviate completely from the 台子 with the use of the 袋(ふくろ)棚, a staggered 大棚 inspired by 香道.

• 台子 and 棚 should only be used in rooms larger than 4.5 mats (this is even in the 南方録, arguing that it'll looked stuffy).
• A 仕付棚 is fine in smaller rooms.
• Also, they should not be used in large rooms where, for example, the 風炉 is on the ふみこみ畳, or if the 炉 is in the host's 畳.
• For 逆勝手, only symmetrical small 棚 are fine.
• At evening 茶事, it's best not to use 棚

If you use a 棚, the way of displaying items on it will change during the course of the 茶事. How precisely the items are placed depends on the 棚. Generally speaking, there are the following 3 types of arrangement:

• 入り飾り: Usually 羽 and 香合 or 柄杓 and 蓋置 are arranged to look like the character 「入」.
• 書院飾: Like in the writing room, so 柄杓 is straight. This seems to be only okay for 棚 that are at least ¼ of the 畳 width and have a straight left edge (KM26 said even the silly 更好棚 can do it! Also, the books show the 紹鴎棚 with this style, as well).
  • 茶器 to its R
  • Both 茶碗 and 茶器 are placed R of it
  • 茶碗 to its R (and 茶器 on its own board)
  • 蓋置 to its front R and 茶碗 in the middle R a bit further out (if there's no base board for the 蓋置).
• 蜻蛉飾: Like a dragonfly, so 柄杓 diagonal, flaked by:
  • the 蓋置 on the L and 茶器 on the R
  • the 茶碗 on the L and the 茶器 on the R (蓋置 on the base board)
  • the 蓋置 on the L and the 茶碗 on the R (茶器 on its own board)
• 総荘: Full display with 茶碗・茶器・蓋置・柄杓・帛紗

In terms of the different stages of the 茶事:

• 初座: You can display 羽箒 and 香合 on them; but you can also opt to carry them in in the 炭斗. If possible, also the 薄茶器 will be there already.
• 後座: 茶入 (in front of 水指) are present. During the 点前, the 仕覆 will land somewhere on the 棚. When finishing, remember that the 柄杓 first goes on the 建水, and then from there it and the 蓋置 may go to the 棚 (but you can also carry them out). If you have 後炭, it's preferable to evacuate the 柄杓.
• 薄茶: After 薄茶, you can opt to do 総荘, where the 茶碗 is also displayed on the shelf. In that case, it is cleaned as in 入子点 and the 茶巾 folded anew (unlike 台天目!). 水次 still used, but 帛紗 also left there.

• For 4 pillar 棚, lift the 水指 out of it to replenish.
• For 3 pillar 棚, you do 半出し. In that case, the lid is handled with 3 hands and placed on the 水指's front (sometimes with both hands holding the lid simultaneously).
• For 2 pillar 棚, no need to move the 水指.
• With 運棚, you move the 水指 out and in in two steps.
• Unglazed wares, which are dampened, are only used for 運棚 and the 山里棚 (where the base board is moistened)
• For 運棚, a bamboo lid rest is used.
• For other 棚, you do 湯返し. Even if you display the 柄杓 on the 運棚, there's no 湯返し. 仕付棚 are 運棚.
• 水指 should be about 80% full (70% for 運び)

• Square shelves are yin, so the 柄杓 is put upwards (to make it yang). Round shelves are yang, so the 柄杓 is put downwards (to make it yin). Usually, more than 5 corners mean the 棚 is treated as round.
• Inherently, the 柄杓 (and 蓋置) is yin, and as such, it likes to live above the yang-y 茶器 (⚠️ The 更好棚 and 千歳棚 are notable exceptions. Here the 茶器 lives above the 柄杓.)
• If there's only one shelf, the 茶器 lives to the R of the 柄杓・蓋置.
  • If the 茶器 lives in the middle, the 柄杓 is placed straight and the 蓋置 on the bottom board.
  • If the 茶器 can move around, you can do 蜻蛉荘, where the 蓋置 and 茶器 flank the 柄杓
  • I think for the 五行棚 it is reversed if you opt to put the 蓋置 on the 天板.
• If there's a nail, it's preferable to hang the 柄杓. In that case, the 蓋置 likes to live beneath it.
• In the 台子, the 蓋置 stays on it and doesn't touch the 畳, so some of the rules of how the 蓋置 behaves stem from there. That means that the 蓋置 would prefer not to go onto the 畳.
• When 棚 is used, we don't use a bamboo 蓋置. The exception are 運び棚 and, mysteriously enough, the 長板　二つ置き.

• If there's a nail, it's okay to hang the feather. In that case, the 香合 likes to live beneath it.

• If there's a nail, you may hang it. In that case, no need to turn it towars the fire.
• Otherwise, it likes to live as high up as possible, either in front of the 茶器, in the middle or on the front L corner (like in 台子).

• 台子 is placed in the center of the half-mat behind the 道具畳. That ends up being 17.5 目 (= 18) away from the knees. (
• 長板 and 小棚 are 16 目 away from it (the text is a bit ambiguous, it could also mean 16 目 away from the far back). If the 敷板 is larger than the base board of the 棚, then that's the reference; so that 釜 and 水指 are aligned (as they are on the 台子).

• Usually, with 棚, unless you're doing something formal (like 貴人), you close in 中仕舞い.
• My explanation is that we want to tone down the formality of the 棚.

• After 拝見, shift in front of 棚, place 茶杓 on 水指 lid if it's lacquered, or on the 棚 if it's ceramic (?), put 棗 on 棚, and just go out with the 茶杓

• If the lid is not lacquered, you can't leave the 帛紗 on the 水指 for 総荘. In that case, it seems to prefer the top front R corner.