November special ceremony is called “ Kuchi-kiri no chaji”. They will open this container with a great care in front of the guests. Freshly grinded Tea will entertain the guests. This tea ceremony is so precious that very few have chance to attend.
Tea leaves harvested in May are now ready to be grinded as Matcha, powder green tea. After the harvest, tea leaves are steamed, dried, separated into two kinds and stored for a fermentation. The common quality is “Usu-cha”, the Matcha served sometimes as Matcha Late, and the higher quality “ Koicha”, often used for Tea ceremony. “Koicha” is thicker tea with a strong green colour and texture. During the 6 moths of fermentation, “Koicha” leaves are stored in a bag in the middle of “Usucha” leaves in a big vase kind of container called, “Cha Tsubo”. ,“茶壷”.
This “Chatsubo” belongs to Omote Senke today, once owned by Great Tea Master Rikyu. The owners before Riyu were Shogun Yoshimasa Ashikaga1449-1474, Tenkabito ,Nobunaga Oda1534-1582. 3 weeks before Rikyu’s death, Rikyu wrote a letter to an monk in Daitokuji Temple to donate this tea container rather than giving it to the most powerful man of the time, Hideyoshi who wanted to own it so badly. Objects and tools used in tea ceremony is not only beautiful but also rich in history.
Next episode is about more technical reason why November is the first month of Tea ceremony calendar.
24.10.2022 by IZU
references:
https://air-u.kyoto-art.ac.jp/gakusha/learning/G2132433
https://www.kitayamakaikan.jp/sp/exhibition/past/2010/special20151003_item02.html