History
- Originally, Chinese braziers (760 AD) made from bronze or iron, with 3 legs. Ash in these, according to CQ82, was formed into 3 mountains, each one with one of the trigrams ☲ (fire), ☴ (wind) and ☵ (water). First ones with demon-mask design and fitting kettle imported to Japan in XIII by zen monk Nampo.
- Earthenware braziers (どぶろ) appeared around XV in Murata Shukō's time, because they were more suitable to 侘茶. Famous makers were Sōshirō and Zengorō.
- Palmer sketches the development roughly as matched 釜 and 風炉 being the first, some old 風炉 rusting away and thus needing a 五徳; giving the idea to develop the 眉（まゆ）shape, and then, under Dōan, doing away with that eyebrow and arriving at the 面取（めんとり）shape.
Types
The following is mostly from verdure, with some anecdotes from CQ82, the Chanoyu Vocabulary and a lecture by Larry
| formality | 風炉 | 板 | firetile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 真 | 眉（まゆ）(earthernware), there's also a version by Jōō and a 大風呂 | あらめ (black lacquer with horizontal rays) | white |
| 行 | everything bronze and other earthernware shapes | white | |
| 草 | cast iron | ceramic tiles, usually 織部 | red |
Earthenware
Earthenware 土風炉 (どぶろ）, associated with Nara where they became popular around Jōō's time, with masters such as Sōshirō being from there.
🔥 When you got a new lacquered 風炉, warm it up carefully for the first time; otherwise the lacquer might crack. These days, you'll also find metal 風炉 which are lacquered because it's lighter; they are handled like 土風炉.
| 眉 | まゆ |  | Eyebrow in English, 真 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 透木 | すきぎ |  | Murata Shukō's invention |
| 紹鴎 | じょうおう |  | Named after Takeno Jōō |
| 頬当 | ほおあて |  | Named after a piece of armor guarding the cheeks |
| 道安 | どうあん |  | Named for being his favourite, also made in copper and iron |
| 面取 | めんとり |  | Also made in copper and iron |
| 雲龍 | うんりゅう |  | |
| 紅鉢 | べにばさ |  | Rogue pot, because it resembles the shape of the mortar in which saffron (beni) was pounded; can also be glazed 楽 ware |
| 四方 | よほう |  | |
| 箪瓢 | たんぴょう |  | Gourd-shaped |
| 雲華 | うんげ |  |
Bronze
Bronze 唐銅（からかね） (an alloy of copper and other metals)
| 鬼面 | きめん |  | ❝the original❞ (from China, for the 台子) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 朝鮮 | ちょうせん |  | “the rule is to use 真形（しんなり）釜 with it |
| 琉球 | りゅうきゅう |  | Legs develop directly from the body |
| 色紙 | しきし |  | Favourite of Enshū |
| 鳳凰 | ほうおう |  | Favourite of Urasenke VIII |
Iron
As for ironware, some bronze ones are also made from iron; but the only 風炉 that is always strictly iron is the 窶 (やつれ), which is used in October.
🥹 With these, you don't use フジ灰; and you use a red fire-tile.
Wood
There exists what is probably 利休's shittiest invention, the 板風炉（いた）:
透木（すきぎ）
90 x 18 x 9 mm for 風炉, 117 x 21 x 12 for 炉; different woods favoured by different people:
| 利休 | magnolia |
| Sōtan | paulownia (also used today mostly) |
| Sensō (IV) | cherry |
| Ennōsai (XIII) | Japanese apricot |
五徳
- Use of the 五徳 only came with Jōō; it is named like this because the monk who came up with the 自在（じざい）adjustable bamboo pole was reading a Buddhist text about six virtues, the first one being 自在, so the rest was called 五徳 (five virtues).
- If the 炉 is outside the host's place, it is placed so that the point of one prong faces the guest of honour's place; if it's inside, one point faces the host.
- In 風炉, it is placed the same way; but only one with a half ring is used to give room to the ceramic tile. For a 瓶掛け（びんかけ）you could use a small full-ring one.
- When used as a 蓋置, it is called 隠架（いんか）. It is one of the seven lid-rests; and it is used when the 釜 is not using one.
Flexions
- There is a thing about the seven flexions of the 風炉 (風炉の七歪), which I wrote about under 灰, since it also involves moving the trivet and shaping the ash somewhat differently.