usuchaki　薄茶器

KEY WORD :　architecture / tea houses

Also abbreviated usuki 薄器. A container for weak-flavored tea. Early usuchaki had a cylindrical shape, but most are jujube-shaped, with a round top and bottom. The bottom is slightly smaller than the top. Usually, they are about 7cm in diameter and height. However, there is a hiranatsume 平棗 which has a larger diameter and is more shallow. *Natsume 棗 are usually lacquered and finished with a gold and silver design. These are not to be put in a special bag, shifuku 仕覆, but in a wooden caddy natsume, with a matching lid. Most have a black or red lacquer finish. The red lacquer usuchaki is sometimes treated with a special technique called tame-nuri 溜塗. Other usuchaki are made of bamboo, plain wood showing the grain, kiji 木地, and usually left uncoated. Some tea containers are coated with gold or silver dust *makie 蒔絵, and others are ceramic. The six containers used for weak tea are called oshiroitoki 白粉解, chaoke 茶桶, fubuki 吹雪, sungiri 寸切, mennakatsugi 面中次 and saiki 菜器.

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*chaki 茶器

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