room at Chinsanren with kama  (Jan 95)

setup for October tea

The tea ceremony differs from social gatherings in other cultures in a number of ways, but two contrasts predominate. First, in tea ceremony the host prepares the tea in front of the guests. Second, in tea ceremony the guests bring their own napkins and "silverware."  This requires the use of miscellaneous objects of metals and other materials.

kama

kama (Mar 99,31 )

The kama is an iron kettle which holds the hot water, and which sits on top of the furo or ro. It is pure iron, kept from rusting by being either dry or filled with boiling water. Like its cold water equivalent, the mizusashi, kama come in a variety of shapes and styles--but always iron, which among other things adds to the nutritional value of the tea.

furo

furo for October

The furo is a "portable" metal brazier which holds the charcoal, and on top of which sits the kama . A furo is used from May to November, though it may also be used at any time in a room where the sunken ro is not present. While there are a number of different styles, the most common are the open doan style and the three-legged style.

ro

Ro with sukigigama (Nov 98,26)

The ro is a small sunken pit which holds the charcoal, and on top of which sits the kama . It is used from November to May, and is usually placed in the center of the tea room to provide warmth for the guests. The rest of the year it is covered over and a furo is used instead.

mizutsugi

mizutsugi (July 97,1)

The mizutsugi is a small water kettle used to replenish the mizusashi with cold water at the end of a temae.  This is only used when the mizusashi is not removed, as in when it is seated in some form of a tana.  Replenishing the mizusashi is one of the many unspoken gestures of a temae, in this case to tell the guests that they will always be welcome to return--everything will be ready for them.

hibashi

Daisu set with hibashi in the vase-like shakutate behind the hishaku (Dec 95,1)

The hibashi are metal chopsticks which are used to place the charcoal sticks in the ro or furo.

kaishi

The kaishi is the paper which is used to hold the kashi while it is being eaten by the guests. It may also be used as a general-purpose napkin to catch any spills, or can be placed under an overturned chawan after drinking usucha to catch drips while the guest looks at the bowl.

kashiki

kashiki with matsuba (pine needles) dry cakes and candy (Mar 98,19)

The kashiki is the container used to carry in the kashi to the guests. It may be made of metal, ceramic or wood (usually lacquered), based on the type of kashi that is being served. In general, kashi that is dry is served with usucha , while kashi that has some type of sweet paste is served with koicha.

kuromoji

kasuteira (Portugese cake) with kuromoji

The kuromoji is the toothpick-like flatware often used by guests in eating the bean-paste candy common in koicha . It can be made of wood, bamboo or metal, and occasionally has its own brocaded holder. The kuromoji may be supplied by the temae as seen in the picture , or in some cases the guests may bring their own kuromoji.

suehiro

suehiro: inscription "full of joyful song" (1/95)

The suehiro or sensu is the folded fan which is used by guests and host alike in greeting. The word suehiro literally means "the future is wide," referring to the unfolded fan's shape, and is an unspoken hope for the other person's good fortune. Also, in samurai days the swords were left outside the tea room, and so the fan acted as an ersatz sword--for greeting purposes only.