The height of Rikyū’s take futa-oki, 竹蓋置, bamboo lid-rest, measures 1.8 sun kane-jaku, 1.8 寸曲尺, “inch” bend-span: also 18 bu (分) kane-jaku, 180 rin (厘)kane-jaku. The 1.8 sun kane-jaku measurement equals 1.44 sun kujira-jaku. Ideally, the bamboo lidrest is made of freshly cut green bamboo: ao-dake, 青竹, green-bamboo, hiki-kiri, 引切, draw-cut (sawn), futa-oki. Is the origin of the aodake futaoki a sakazuki made of aodake, and perhaps for drinking o-mi-ki , お神酒, hon.-sacred sake, at a Shintō ritual? The green bamboo cup at the right, ao-dake sakazuki, 青竹盃, green-bamboo sake cup, h. 2” – 1.7 sun kane-jaku. The height of the green bamboo futaoki used by Take-no...
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In Chanoyu, the sunken hearth is opened on the first day of the Wild Boar of the tenth month. According to Japanese traditional architecture, the ro is a permanent part of a Tearoom, which is usually covered over when not in use. Therefore, the floor has to be opened to reveal the hearth, hence “opening” the ro. The traditional opening of the hearth, ro-biraki, 炉開, hearth-open, should occur on the first I no hi, 亥の日, Boar’s day, of the tenth month. of the kyū-reki, 旧暦, old-calendar. This day varies greatly, as the Zodiac cycle of twelve animals is different each year. In addition, the “tenth month”...
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