Directory: gotoku

Nakaoki: Kama and Incense

Tokonoma with utensils for a Daruma Memorial Tea. Kake-jiku, 掛軸, hang-scroll, with brushed picture of Daru-ma, 達磨, Attain-polish. Kō-ro, 香炉, incense-hearth, Kara-ji-shi, 唐獅子, Tang-lion-of, Shino-yaki, 志野焼, Aspire-field-fired. Flower in ceramic hana-tate, 花立, flower-stand, ceramic sake bottle, from Kami-ga-mo Jin-ja, 上賀茂神社, Upper-joyous-luxuriant God-shrine. Polished brass hi-tate, 火立, fire-stand, candlestick. Daru-ma, 達磨, Attain-polish, as Bodhidharma is known in Japan, was the founder of Chan Buddhism in China. He sat meditating in a cave for nine years. Bodhidharma was the 28th founder of Zen Buddhism, counting from Gautama Buddha, who is also regarded as the 28th Buddha. The monthly en-nichi, 縁日, edge-day, for Fu-dō Myō-ō, 不動明王, No-move Bright-king, a wrothful...

Furo and Kama Changes

Ki-men bu-ro, 鬼面風炉, demon-face wind-hearth, Kara-kane, with metal rings held by ‘dragon’ head kan-tsuki, 鐶付, metal ring-attachment, 唐銅, Tang-copper, bronze, with shin-nari kama, 真形釜, true-form kettle, tetsu, 鉄, iron, with ki-men kan-tsuki, 鬼面鐶付, demon-face metal ring-attach, by Kana-mori Jō-ei, 金森浄栄, Gold-woods Pure-splendor, Taka-oka-shi, 高岡市, High-hill-city, To-yama-ken, 富山県, Wealth-mountain-prefecture. Supported on a shin-nuri, 真塗, true-lacquer, shiki-ita, 敷板, spread-board. Mayu bu-ro, 眉風炉, eyebrow wind-hearth, with oblong hi-mado, 火窓, fire-window, black lacquered ceramic, shin kuro, 真黒, true-black, (this furo is also classified as a do-bu-ro, 土風炉, earth-wind-hearth) by Yama-moto Sō-un, 山本崇雲, Mountain-origin Revere-cloud. Choice of Sen Rikyū. Supported on a shin-nuri, 真塗, true-lacquer, shiki-ita, 敷板, spread-board; the doburo is...

Furo to Ro

In the realm of Chanoyu, it is necessary to heat water to make the tea. According to tradition, water is heated in a kama, 釜, kettle. Originally, the kama was part of a portable hearth called a fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth. In time, the kama was taken from the furo bowl, and used with a hearth sunk in the floor, called an i-ro-ri, 囲炉裏, enclose-hearth-inner. The word irori is abbreviated to ro, 炉. The furo can be used throughout the year, but if a ro is available, it is used in the cold half of the year, from November through April. The fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, is used from...