Tea Ceremony Utensils: Cha-ire, Chasen, and Chawan
Cha-ire (茶入) (tea caddy) : The cha-ire is usually tall and thin (but shapes may vary significantly) and has an ivory lid with a gold leaf underside. Cha-ire are usually ceramic, and are stored in decorative bags called Shifuku.
The Cha-ire tea caddy is used when making thick tea called Koicha for the guests. As the Cha-ire is considered to be a high ranking piece of tea equipment (more about: tea utensils ranking), it is ritually cleaned with the Fukusa before scooping out the powdered green tea. Shokyaku will ask for Haiken, or viewing, of this tea caddy when all guests have finished drinking.
Chasen (茶筅) (whisk) : Tea-whisks are carved from a single piece of bamboo. Though they are a necessary part to serve tea, Chasen whisks themselves aren't considered as Dōgu.
Chasen are made of three kinds of bamboo: They are either made of smoked bamboo, fresh bamboo, or dried bamboo, and their heads are either fine, medium, or rough. Which type of Chasen one uses, depends mainly on the type of tea served. Types of tea are thick tea Koicha, or thin tea Usucha.
Chawan (茶碗) (tea bowl) : Arguably the most essential implement; without these, tea could not be served or drunk at all. Chawans are available in a wide range of sizes and styles, and different styles are used for thick and thin tea. Shallow bowls, which allow the tea to cool rapidly, are used in summer; deep bowls are used in winter to keep the green-tea hot for longer time. Bowls are frequently named by their creators or owners, or by a tea master.
Bowls over four hundred years old are said to be in use today, but probably only on unusually special occasions. The best bowls are thrown by hand, and some bowls are extremely valuable. Irregularities and imperfections are prized: they are often featured prominently as the "front" of the bowl. Broken tea bowls are painstakingly repaired using a mixture of lacquer and other natural ingredients. Powdered gold is added to disguise the dark color of the lacquer, so this repair is often referred as Kintsugi or "joint with gold", and additional designs are sometimes created with the mixture. Bowls repaired in this fashion are used mainly in November, when tea practitioners begin using the Ro, or hearth, again, as an expression and celebration of the concept of Wabi, or humble simplicity.
Tea Ceremony Utensils: Cha-ire, Chasen, and Chawan
Cha-ire (茶入) (tea caddy) : The cha-ire is usually tall and thin (but shapes may vary significantly) and has an ivory lid with a gold leaf underside. Cha-ire are usually ceramic, and are stored in decorative bags called Shifuku.
The Cha-ire tea caddy is used when making thick tea called Koicha for the guests. As the Cha-ire is considered to be a high ranking piece of tea equipment (more about: tea utensils ranking), it is ritually cleaned with the Fukusa before scooping out the powdered green tea. Shokyaku will ask for Haiken, or viewing, of this tea caddy when all guests have finished drinking.
Chasen (茶筅) (whisk) : Tea-whisks are carved from a single piece of bamboo. Though they are a necessary part to serve tea, Chasen whisks themselves aren't considered as Dōgu.
Chasen are made of three kinds of bamboo: They are either made of smoked bamboo, fresh bamboo, or dried bamboo, and their heads are either fine, medium, or rough. Which type of Chasen one uses, depends mainly on the type of tea served. Types of tea are thick tea Koicha, or thin tea Usucha.
Chawan (茶碗) (tea bowl) : Arguably the most essential implement; without these, tea could not be served or drunk at all. Chawans are available in a wide range of sizes and styles, and different styles are used for thick and thin tea. Shallow bowls, which allow the tea to cool rapidly, are used in summer; deep bowls are used in winter to keep the green-tea hot for longer time. Bowls are frequently named by their creators or owners, or by a tea master.
Bowls over four hundred years old are said to be in use today, but probably only on unusually special occasions. The best bowls are thrown by hand, and some bowls are extremely valuable. Irregularities and imperfections are prized: they are often featured prominently as the "front" of the bowl. Broken tea bowls are painstakingly repaired using a mixture of lacquer and other natural ingredients. Powdered gold is added to disguise the dark color of the lacquer, so this repair is often referred as Kintsugi or "joint with gold", and additional designs are sometimes created with the mixture. Bowls repaired in this fashion are used mainly in November, when tea practitioners begin using the Ro, or hearth, again, as an expression and celebration of the concept of Wabi, or humble simplicity.