chashaku　茶杓
KEY WORD :　architecture / tea houses
　
Lit. tea scoop. A spoon-like utensil used to transfer powdered tea from a tea container *chaki 茶器 to the guest's tea bowl at a tea ceremony. Originally, a chashaku was made of ivory and used as a medicine spoon, but after the mid 17c the tea masters preferred to make it out of bamboo. Other materials were also used, including mulberry wood, tortoise shell and silver. When the techniques for manipulating bamboo improved, chashaku took on various shapes depending on the preferences of the tea masters. The average length is between 19-21 1/2 cm, with a width of about 1cm. Its tip is bent and rounded to make the scoop. This spoon-like utensil is carved along the vertical growth of the bamboo. The rest is thinned gradually and the bottom edge is cut straight. It is of practical use but is so perfectly created that is a miniature work of art. There are three types of tea scoops. The formal tea scoop is made principally from ivory or from a smooth jointless piece of the bamboo. The semi-formal tea scoop is made of mulberry or bamboo with the joint at the handle end. Informal tea scoops are made of bamboo with the joint in or near the middle. The informal tea scoop is the most common and was probably created by Sen Rikyuu 千利休 (1522-91). The names of the various parts of a tea scoop include: the tip tsuyu 露; the paddle tip or bowl kaisaki 櫂先; the groove hi 樋; the bend tame 撓; the joint fushi 節; upper part of joint fushiue 節上; lower part of joint, fushishita 節下; the scraped out back of the joint *arigoshi 蟻腰; the handle *ottori 追取; and the end of the scoop *kiridome 切止. A tube-like case oritame 折撓, used to store the tea scoop is made of bamboo. Often a name is inscribed on the case.
　

a) tsuyu 露　b) kaisaki 櫂先　c) hi 樋
d) fushi 節　e) *ottori 追取　f) *kiridome 切止

　
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。