kyakudatami　客畳

KEY WORD :　architecture / tea houses

The guest's mat in a tea ceremony room *chashitsu 茶室. It is usually close to the guest's entrance in a 4 1/2 mat room *yojouhan 四畳半. If a mat has been reserved for a nobleman *kinindatami 貴人畳, it is usually placed in front of the alcove *tokonoma 床の間, in which case it is called tokomaedatami 床前畳. In a 3-mat tea ceremony room, one additional mat is cut about a quarter smaller than usual size, sanjou daimedatami 三畳台目畳. This guest mat also is often placed before the alcove. The same is true for smaller tea ceremony rooms as well. The CHADOU HAYAGATTEN 茶道早合点 (1771) makes a clear reference to kyakudatami. The TEIYOUSHUU 貞要集 (1710) states that in a 4 1/2 mat room the guest mat and the utensil mat *dougudatami 道具畳, should be placed so that the wales of the two mats are parallel. The CHADOU KYUUBUNROKU 茶道旧聞録 (1712) states that a 4 1/2 mat room should really only accommodate two guests at a time. However, if there are more than three guests, one sits on the mat in front of the alcove. If there is only one guest, he sits on the guest mat a little toward the center of the room but somewhat toward the guest entrance. In a 4 1/2 mat room, there are several ways to arrange the tatami in order to adapt the space to accommodate four to six guests. Two arrangements are illustrated. These are called yojouhan hiromakamae 四畳半広間構. If a portable brazier *furo 風炉 is used, the arrangement of the guest's mat can be applied to either the usual *hongatte 本勝手, or the reverse *gyakugatte 逆勝手, plans.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。