Nampō Roku, Book 5 (31): the Display of Two Bowls when Two¹ Noble Guests [will be Served].

31) Ryō-son ni-wan kazari nari [兩尊二碗飾也]².









[The writing reads: (between the ten-ita and the ji-ita, from right to left) temmoku fukuro-iri (天目袋入)³, kono fukuro-iri temmoku, bon soto ni kazaru-koto mo ari (此袋入天目、盆外ニカサルコトモアリ)⁴; chaire (茶入); hadaka-temmoku (ハタカ天目)⁵; (below the daisu) shaku-naga no toki, shaku-naga orosanu toki ha, chaire hizō naraba ko-bon hakobu-beshi (尺長ノ時、尺長ヲロサヌ時ハ、茶入秘蔵ナラハ小盆ハコフヘシ)⁶; tsune-no-nagabon naraba orosu ga yoshi (常ノ長盆ナラハヲロスカヨシ)⁷; hakobu dai (ハコフ臺)⁸.]





The kaki-ire [書入]⁹:

① With respect to this temae, it is very important that neither of the noble guests be higher or lower [in rank, than the other]¹⁰.

Because the first [temmoku] in which [tea] is prepared is naturally the more highly prized [of the two]¹¹, during the subsequent temae, the manner in which everything is done should be [intentionally] splendid¹² – with both the [second] temmoku, and its dai, handled in a way that will highlight their [special] features¹³.

In the kae-chawan, [the host] should naturally prepare the chakin¹⁴. But if, as shown [in the sketch], the chakin will be placed in one of the temmoku, it is natural that a kae-chawan will not be brought out¹⁵.

It is also acceptable for two [chakin] to be placed in the temmoku from the beginning¹⁶. Yet if this [placing the chakin and chasen in one of the temmoku] seems to be an [unacceptable] abbreviation, it is also permissible for a kae-chawan to be brought out – so it has been said¹⁷.







② When a shaku-naga[bon] is being used [to display the chaire and temmoku on the daisu], it is also acceptable for a naka-bon [中盆] to be brought out [from the katte], with the temmoku then being handled upon the naka-bon¹⁸.





_________________________

◎ This entry potentially describes three different arrangements, with the details that pertain to each mixed together somewhat randomly in the kaki-ire*.

The three possible arrangements are:

1) the dai-temmoku (with the chakin, chasen, and chashaku arranged in the temmoku), chaire, and a fukuro-iri temmoku (without its dai) arranged on the shaku-nagabon [尺長盆] – this is the arrangement that is illustrated in the sketch;















2) the dai-temmoku (with the chakin, chasen, and chashaku arranged in the temmoku), chaire, and a fukuro-iri temmoku arranged on the tsune-no-nagabon [常ノ長盆];













3) the dai-temmoku (with the chakin, chasen, and chashaku arranged in the temmoku) and chaire arranged on a tsune-no-nagabon [常ノ長盆], with the fukuro-iri temmoku displayed off to the side*.













In all three arrangements, the dai-temmoku will be used to serve tea to the first nobleman, while the fukuro-iri temmoku (which will be placed on a temmoku-dai – that is brought out from the katte – when it is lowered to the mat) will be used to serve tea to the second nobleman.

Because this temae (like the others in this part of Book Five of the Nampō Roku) was created by the machi-shū, it necessarily reflects their concern over class differences between themselves and the members of the nobility†. We must be careful not to forget this point when attempting to understand the meaning of the conventions that govern these temae.

___________

*The reader should be careful not to confuse this version of the kazari with the very similar arrangement that was discussed in the post entitled Nampō Roku, Book 5 (13.1): the Arrangement [of the Daisu] During the Shoza when [Receiving a] Respected Guest¹, Part 1. In that entry, the chawan that was displayed apart from the tray was the one that would be used first (to serve usucha to the noble guest at the beginning of the shoza, immediately after he arrives for the chakai). In the present instance, the chawan that is placed on the right side of the ten-ita will be used second, to serve koicha to the second nobleman during the goza.

†Because these contacts were (at least originally) necessary for the purpose of furthering his business interests (Jōō was an antique dealer, and the ancient homes of the impoverished nobility were a prime source for pieces that could fetch huge prices when sold to members of the – often Korean expatriate – merchant class, who were intent on creating the impression that their families were longstanding members of the local communities with which they did business: in Japan, these people usually adopted Japanese surnames and affected Japanese mannerisms and sensibilities, since the Japanese were usually suspicious of, and averse to dealing with, foreigners), Jōō’s participation in incense and poetic circles, whose members included members of the ancient aristocracy, required him to be especially conscientious of the relative ranks of the other participants. It was, thus, extremely important that every care be taken, when receiving such people, regarding the deference that was expected by such guests – particularly when they condescended to pay a visit to the machi-shū chajin’s own dwelling. (The nobles may have been dirt poor, and the food and drink offered to them by their machi-shū host may have been the first decent meal that they had consumed in weeks, but their sense of pride demanded that they stand on ceremony and tollerate not even the smallest breach of decorum.)







¹Ryō-son [兩尊], the word I have translated as “two noble guests,” more literally means “a pair of noble guests,” or “a couple of noble guests.”

Since, with respect to this arrangement, the two noblemen do not necessarily have to be connected with each other in any way, it seemed best to avoid the misunderstanding that “couple” or “pair” might engender.





²Ryō-son ni-wan kazari nari [兩尊二碗飾也].

“This is the display of two bowls [for an occasion when] a pair of noblemen [will be received for tea].”

This arrangement is an interesting balancing act, for an occasion where two noblemen of equal rank are being received at the same time. Naturally, since the host is preparing the koicha with his own hands, one of the men will have to be served first, and the other served second†. But extreme care is taken to insure that, even so, the service of neither guest appears to be superior to the other.

___________

*Tanaka Senshō, in his commentary, also notes that the grammatical structure of this kaki-ire is confusing and disordered – and that it frequently refers to elements of temae that have nothing to do with what is represented in the sketch.



†Each nobleman will be presented with an individual portion of koicha, in his own dai-temmoku. Since the host is preparing the tea with his own hands, one of the guests will have to be served after the other (usually the one with the greater experience of chanoyu, so that he can help the first guest, if needed; or, the one who is the closer acquaintance of the host).







³Temmoku fukuro-iri [天目袋入].

“[This] temmoku is enclosed in its fukuro.”

Even though this temmoku-chawan is tied in its shifuku, and displayed on its kane* (rather than overlapping its kane by one-third, as was the case with the other temmoku), it is the host’s “second-best” temmoku†. Displaying it in this way elevates it, while displaying the better bowl without its shifuku, and overlapping its kane by one-third, disparages that one slightly – with the goal being to make the two bowls equal to each other.

This is the temmoku that will be used to serve tea to the second nobleman.

___________

*Though this bowl is centered on its kane, it is not arranged as a mine-suri [峰摺り] – since that would interfere with the balance that the host is hoping to demonstrate in this kazari.



†To bring home this point, the second temmoku is not displayed on its dai. (The dai is brought out from the katte immediately before this second temmoku is lowered from the ten-ita.)







⁴Kono fukuro-iri temmoku, bon soto ni kazaru-koto mo ari [此袋入天目、盆外ニカサルコトモアリ].

“As for the temmoku that is enclosed in [its] fukuro, it is also possible to display it [on the ten-ita] apart from the tray.”

If the host is using an ordinary nagabon (tsune-no-nagabon [常の長盆]) for this temae, the temmoku that is tied in its shifuku might be displayed on the ten-ita, to the right of the tray. While it could also be displayed on the tray (as shown in the second sketch that accompanies the introductory remarks that precede the footnotes), this might make the things on the tray seem rather crowded. In fact, before lowering the tsune-no-nagabon to the mat*, the fukuro-iri temmoku would have to be lifted off the tray anyway, and this variant simply anticipates that eventuality by placing the fukuro-iri temmoku there from the start.











When using a Shaku-nagabon, this would not be necessary†. As a result, this comment was probably intended to refer specifically to the situation where a tsune-no-nagabon is being used.

___________

*In the variations of this temae where a tsune-no-nagabon is the tray that is displayed on the ten-ita, the host would enter the room with a chaire-bon. After lifting the nagabon toward the front edge of the ten-ita, the fukuro-iri temmoku would be picked up and placed on the ten-ita, as shown in the sketch (if it was not already displayed in that place from the start – as suggested by this kaki-ire). Then the chaire-bon would be moved to the middle of the mat, in front of the host’s knees, and it would be cleaned with his fukusa, and the chaire would be lowered to the chaire-bon (which would then be moved in front of the mizusashi).

Then the temmoku would be lifted off of its dai and placed on the right half of the nagabon, and the nagabon lowered to the mat. After returning the temmoku to the dai, the dai-temmoku would be moved to the spot just vacated by the temmoku.

Then the koboshi would be moved to the mat; and after the futaoki was placed on the mat as well, host and guests would bow for the sō-rei.

†While it would be possible – and certainly not wrong – to do so, displaying the fukuro-iri temmoku on the ten-ita when the other things are arranged on the shaku-nagabon would represent an unnecessary deviation from the temae as it was originally conceived. We must keep in mind that the collection of temae preserved in Book Five of the Nampō Roku were intended to serve as a series of historical precedents that not only document the evolution of chanoyu with the daisu (in the days before the apperance of the small room, when the daisu represented the only way that chaonyu could be performed), but which can guide the host in creating his own variations – according to the demands of his own utensils.

These machi-shū-derived daisu-temae were the wabi no chanoyu of their day.







⁵Hadaka-temmoku [ハタカ天目].

“[This is a] temmoku without a covering*.”

Since the chakin, chasen, and chashaku are all shown as being arranged in this temmoku†, it naturally would be displayed without its shifuku.

__________

*Hadaka [裸] more literally means naked. Thus, “[this] is a naked temmoku.”

†It is important to point out that, while these things are shown as being arranged in the temmoku, it is not imperitive that the host do so. It would be just as acceptable to display the dai-temmoku without these things, or with only the chashaku resting atop the temmoku (as Katagiri Sadamasa shows in his sketch of this class of arrangement), while the chakin, chasen (and possibly the chashaku) would be brought out in a kae-chawan. The only important point is that, whether these things are arranged in the dai-temmoku or not, this chawan must be hadaka – without a shifuku.







⁶Shaku-naga no toki, shaku-naga orosanu toki ha, chaire hizō naraba ko-bon hakobu-beshi [尺長ノ時、尺長ヲロサヌ時ハ、茶入秘蔵ナラハ小盆ハコフヘシ].

“On the occasion when [using] a shaku-naga[bon], because the shaku-naga will not be lowered [to the mat during the temae], if the chaire is a treasured piece, it is best to bring out a small tray [for it to stand on during the temae].”

The shaku-nagabon [尺長盆] was the largest of the six trays selected by Nōami for the use of Ashikaga Yoshimasa. The original tray was imported from the continent (whether from China or Korea is not clear), and it was painted with kagami-nuri [鏡塗]*.



The face of the shaku-nagabon measured 1-shaku 4-sun 4-bu by 8-sun 4-bu; and it was 1-shaku 6-sun 8-bu by 1-shaku 8-bu across the rims.

On account of this tray’s size, it could not be lowered to the mat during the temae. Thus, if it was deemed essential for the chaire to be handled on a tray†, that tray would have to be brought out from the katte at the beginning of the temae.

The sketch shows both a chaire-bon and a nagabon arranged on the mat in front of the daisu, and this would probably be the ideal way in which this temae would be performed. That said, in the second kaki-ire, it states that when the shaku-nagabon is displayed on the ten-ita, a naka-bon [中盆] (= naka maru-bon [中丸盆]) – rather than a tsune-no-nagabon – should be brought out from the katte and used as the base for the dai-temmoku during the temae‡. A naka maru-bon would be much easier to carry out than an ordinary nagabon.



Because the chaire-bon [茶入盆] (= ko-bon [小盆]) was first used by Jōō, no temae that mandates the use of such a tray could have predated his middle period (when this tray was created)**. Thus, if this kind of temae actually originated in the Higashiyama period (as some scholars have suggested), it would appear that the original form of the temae has been lost††.

__________

*Kagami-nuri [鏡塗], “mirror lacquer,” is a kind of black lacquer with a mirror-like gloss.

†Originally, the dai-temmoku, and bon-chare, were the usual utensils used when serving tea to a nobleman – at least according to the conventions that were established by Jōō and the other machi-shū chajin during the early sixteenth century. Thus, for the chaire to be one that does not need a tray could seem disrespectful to the noble guests, in this context.

This appears to have been the reason why Jōō began having chaire-bon made for him by local craftsmen – since the absence of such trays, as a result of the inability of the host to find one of suitable size ready-made, would make it impossible so serve noble guests appropriately. (We must never loose sight of the fact that the trade embargo with the continent was still in effect at this time, meaning that newly arrived luxury items such as trays were few and far between, so that even if a given chaire absolutely demanded that it be used on a tray, the host may simply have found it impossible to provide that chaire with an imported tray – if his selection were limited to that class of products.)



‡When both a chaire-bon and a naka maru-bon will be needed (as would be the usual situation), some suggest that the two trays should be carried out together at the beginning of the temae, with the chaire-bon resting on top of the maru-bon (with a piece of cloth in between). This is the procedure that will be considered in the ‘analysis of the arrangement’ section, below.



These kinds of temae were discussed in the post entitled Nampō Roku, Book 5 (14): the Usual Way to Display Three Utensils on the Nagabon. The URL for that post is:

https://chanoyu-to-wa.tumblr.com/post/620843957941944320/namp%C5%8D-roku-book-5-14-the-usual-way-to-display

Dispensing with either of these trays could suggest a lack of respect for the noble guests.

**The naka hō-bon [中方盆] seems to have been the immediate inspiration for Jōō’s chaire-bon. Nevertheless, it would be too large to be used for this temae when the dai-temmoku is handled on an ordinary nagabon.









There would be just enough room to use the naka hō-bon if the temmoku and its dai were handled on a naka maru-bon, however, as shown above; and it may have been this that served as the original reason why the naka maru-bon was preferred over the tsune-no-nagabon in the original description of this temae.

The naka hō-bon was used with a large taikai chaire (these chaire were between 3-sun and 3-sun 2-bu in diameter), but this chaire would also be especially appropriate when serving noblemen, because the large taikai was the chaire that was used with the o-chanoyu-dana, which was the traditional way that tea was served to such people in their residences, and in the imperial palace. In fact, most of the large taikai came from these places, once the use of the use of the o-chanoyu-dana was superceded by tea prepared at the daisu within the shoin itself. The initial arrangement of a large taikai on the shaku-nagabon is shown below – indicating that this chaire (and its use with the naka hō-bon) was probably the original form of this temae.









The smaller chaire-bon only appeared during Jōō‘s middle period, which was several decades after this temae had been established as part of the machi-shū canon. That said, we must keep in mind that the base material upon which Book Five of the Nampō Roku is based represents Jōō’s version of the temae that are described therein – albeit subsequently subject to reinterpretation through the kaki-ire (the vast majority of which appear to have been added during the Edo period, either before, or after, these documents were copied by Tachibana Jitsuzan).



††Nevertheless, because Book Five of the Nampō Roku does appears to list the temae in chronological order, and since we are currently looking at the series of temae, created by the machi-shū, that appeared during the early decades of the sixteenth century, this would be a strong argument against ascribing this temae to either Yoshimasa or Nōami – or, indeed, others of their generation (whether nobles, commoners, or members of the expatriate Korean machi-shū community in Sakai).

The naka hō-bon mentioned above, which would have been indispensable for this temae in the days before Jōō created the chaire-bon, was itself a machi-shū creation that does not seem to have made its first appearance until after the Higashiyama period, and was never used by Yoshimasa (according to Book Six).







⁷Tsune-no-nagabon naraba orosu ga yoshi [常ノ長盆ナラハヲロスカヨシ]*.

“If [the nagabon] is an ordinary nagabon, it is appropriate to lower [the tray to the mat].”

It appears that the shaku-nagabon was the original tray that was employed in this temae, so using the tsune-no-nagabon was probably a variation introduced later by the machi-shū chajin*.



This is the text as it is found on the sketch that was included in the facsimile edition of Tachibana Jitsuzan’s original manuscript that is reproduced above (and I believe it also agrees with what is found in the Enkaku-ji manuscript).

Used in conjunction with a chaire-bon, the arrangement of the utensils on the mat in front of the daisu would look like this† (the sketch shows a large katatsuki resting on a chaire-bon that is 8-sun 5-bu square‡):











That said, it is important to point out that both Shibayama Fugen’s teihon [底本], and the (unidentified**) text that Tanaka Senshō used as the source†† upon which his commentary is based, have tsune-no-nagabon naraba orosu mo yoshi [常ノ長盆ナラバオロスモヨシ]: “if it is an ordinary nagabon, it is also acceptable to lower [the nagabon to the mat],” which suggests that it would also be acceptable to leave the tsune-no-nagabon on the ten-ita (like the shaku-nagabon), and handle the temmoku directly on the mat.



Leaving the tsune-no-nagabon on the ten-ita would seem too casual‡‡ – since, while cleaning the dai, the temmoku itself would have to be stood directly on the mat – and so lacking in respect to the noble guests.

___________

*The tsune-no-nagabon was the tray most favored by the machi-shū, among the six meibutsu trays that Nōami had selected for Yoshimasa. This tray, and the square naka-bon (naka hō-bon [中方盆], which measured 1-shaku square), were important features of the machi-shū temae prior to the arrival of Jōō.

†This is the arrangement indicated in the original sketch by the two rectangles below the daisu. There is an inconsistency here, however, since, if the shaku-nagabon is used for the kazari (this is what is shown in that sketch), the second kaki-ire indicates that a naka maru-bon would be the preferred base for the dai-temmoku – rather than bringing a tsune-no-hagabon out from the katte. This likely was because carrying out a nagabon (with the chaire-bon stacked on top of it) would be more cumbersome: in temae of this sort, the host should always strive to make his movements appear as elegant as possible.









‡Chaire-bon were rarely more than 1- or 2-bu larger than the tray shown in the sketch – the largest chaire-bon of which I am aware was the tray with a red rim created by Jōō to accompany the meibutsu chaire now known as the Rikyū enza [利休圓座] – this chaire is shown above, resting on Jōō’s red-rimmed tray.

**While it is certainly implied that Tanaka used the text that accompanies the illustrations that are published along with his commentary, deviations such as the one pointed out here suggest that he was actually relying on a (perhaps conventionally printed, rather than facsimile?) edition – rather than reading from the block-printed version of Jitsuzan’s hand-written manuscript.











Above is the line in question, as it appears in the original manuscript (with a printed transcription to its left) – this rendering of ka / ga is found consistently throughout the text in Book Five. Below is the way the katakana mo [モ] is represented in the same handwriting.









Unfortunately, if it is the case that Tanaka used a different version of the text, he deserves to be censured for this kind of oversight (if that is what it was), because in many instances he only includes fragments of the text, as quotations, in his commentary – while apparently leaving it up to the ingenuity of the reader to make out the rest from the plates that reproduce the facsimile manuscript (which are very small, roughly a quarter of a 14.6 cm x 20.9 cm page, without the empty space in the plates cropped), thus rendering the text of the kaki-ire and other notations almost illegible). Rather than making the original text accessible, therefore, what his commentary appears designed to do is promote his interpretations, perhaps at the expense of what the original material actually says. This is a very typical approach to the interpretation of these pre-Edo documents – or at least those being analyzed by scholars employed by one of the modern schools of chanoyu.



††Since Tanaka Senshō has included the illustrations from the Gunsho ruijū [羣書類] edition of Tachibana Jitsuzan’s original manuscript of the Nampō Roku (which document was made with the original Shū-un-an material spread out before him) in his commentary, it is difficult to understand how he determined that this deviant reading is correct – since the printed text clearly reads tsune-no-nagabon naraba orosu ga yoshi [常ノ長盆ナラハヲロスカヨシ], which emphasizes that lowering the ordinary nagabon to the mat is an essential part of the temae. Changing the particle to mo [モ] makes lowering the nagabon optional.

‡‡Bringing out a naka maru-bon for the dai-temmoku, while certainly possible, would seem irrational – since the ordinary nagabon could be used for the same purpose.







⁸Hakobu dai [ハコフ臺].

“[This] dai [is] brought out [from the katte].”

The second temmoku-dai would be brought out immediately after the first dai-temmoku of koicha had been sent on its way to the first nobleman (perhaps the koboshi would be emptied and cleaned at the same time).

If a second chakin had not been present in the first temmoku, a kae-chawan containing the second chakin would be brought out at the same time.

Since the two noblemen are of equal rank, it would be important for there to be as little delay in serving the second guest as possible.







⁹The complete Japanese texts of the kaki-ire read:

① Kono temae ryō-son kō-ge naki-koto dai-ichi nari, hatsu ni tateru ha shōgan mochiron naru yue, ato no temae shoji kekkō ni tori-sabaki, temmoku・dai tomo ni mi-tokoro aru wo mochiiru-beshi, kae-chawan ni chakin futatsu mochiron nari, kaku no gotoki hitotsu no temmoku ni chakin shikomi-taru ni ha, mochiron kae-chawan ha irazu, temmoku no naka ni futatsu hajime yori iru mo yoshi, saredomo ryaku no yō naru yue, kae-chawan mochi-deru mo yoshi to iu-iu. [此手前兩尊高下ナキコト第一也、初ニ立ルハ賞玩勿論ナルユエ、後ノ手前諸事ケツカウニ取サハキ、天目・臺トモニ見所アルヲ用ヘシ、カヘ茶碗ニ茶巾二ツ勿論也、如此一ツノ天目ニ茶巾仕込タルニハ、勿論カヘ茶碗ハ不入、天目ノ内ニ二ツ初ヨリ入ルモヨシ、サレトモ畧ノヤウナルユヘ、カヘ茶碗持出ルモヨシト云〻].

② Shaku-naga no toki, naka-bon hakobite, temmoku wo naka-bon no ue ni te sabaku mo yoshi. [尺長ノ時、中盆ハコヒテ、天目ヲ中盆ノ上ニテサハクモヨシ].





¹⁰Kono temae ryō-son kō-ge naki-koto dai-ichi nari [此手前兩尊高下ナキコト第一也].

“In this temae, [among] the two noblemen, higher [rank] or lower [rank] does not exist. This is of the greatest importance.”

Kō-ge naki-koto [高下無き事] means “higher [or] lower do not exist.”

As Tanaka Senshō points out, “even though the one temmoku is tied in its fukuro while the other is left without one, and even though there are greater or lesser differences between the way that the two bowls of koicha are prepared, there is absolutely no difference between the rank of the two nobles” – and it is important that nothing that is done should inadvertently suggest that there is any difference between them.





¹¹Hatsu ni tateru ha shōgan mochiron naru yue [初ニ立ルハ賞玩勿論ナルユエ].

“The first [temmoku] in which tea is made is naturally the treasured [temmoku]. Because of this….”

The first temmoku to be used is the one that contains the chakin and chasen. In other words, the hadaka [裸] (naked) temmmoku. Thus, even though this is supposed to be the host’s best temmoku, it is displayed without its shifuku – this is done deliberately, so that it will not seem that the host considers the first noble to be superior to the second.





¹²Ato no temae shoji kekkō ni tori-sabaki [後ノ手前諸事ケツカウニ取サハキ].

“During the latter temae, everything should be done in a splendid manner.”

In other words, the details of the temae employed when using the treasured temmoku (to serve the first guest) would be defined by tradition*. Then, during the preparation of the second bowl† of koicha (for the second nobleman) there should be no roughness, and nothing that the host does should suggest any sort of inferiority. Even though this guest is not being served with the host’s finest temmoku, the host should take exceptional care to avoid implying that there is anything inferior about either this bowl, or the rest of the service.

___________

*The status of the first temmoku as a hizō [秘蔵] – a piece worthy of shōgan [賞玩], treasuring – means that it would be a temmoku that had been handed down from some great chajin of the past, and so it should be used reverently, in recognition of that person’s merit.

†The second temmoku would more likely be a piece that had been “discovered” by the host, and so representative of contemporary aesthetic values.

The old pieces that had been handed down from earlier times were usually rather plain-looking pieces; those that came on the market after the practice of chanoyu had been established among the aristocracy and wealthy merchants in Japan usually had certain, sometimes flamboyant, features – since such details would have been sought out by the buyers acting on the continent, since these points would make them more valuable (and so gain the merchant who had imported them much more money). While antiques that had been handed down from a previous, revered, owner were often encumbered by special usages that had been transmitted along with the object, the way to handle a bowl “discovered” by the host was entirely up to the host’s sense of propriety – as was the temmoku-dai with which this temmoku was paired (the early temmoku-dai were plain black lacquer, but from the end of the fifteenth century, carved lacquer and mother-of-pearl-inlaid dai began to make their appearance) and this is why the kaki-ire includes the comment kekkō ni tori-sabaki [結構に取り捌き], to be handled in a splendid manner.







¹³Temmoku・dai tomo ni mi-tokoro aru wo mochiiru-beshi [天目・臺トモニ見所アルヲ用ヘシ].

“Both the temmoku, and its dai, having special features, they should be used [in a way that draws attention to these features].”

Mi-tokoro [見所] means a highlight, (literally) something worth looking at.

The second temmoku, though not the host’s most prized bowl* of this sort, and its dai, should be handled in a way that highlights their special features.

___________

*Since both temmoku are supposed to be very good pieces, the difference would likely be that the first bowl had formerly been owned by a famous chajin of the past. Thus, it is entirely possible that the second bowl would actually be the more appealing or interesting of the two (since it might better conform to the contemporary aesthetic).







¹⁴Kae-chawan ni chakin futatsu mochiron nari [カヘ茶碗ニ茶巾二ツ勿論也].

“In the kae-chawan there should naturally be two chakin.”







¹⁵Kaku no gotoki hitotsu no temmoku ni chakin shikomi-taru ni ha, mochiron kae-chawan ha irazu [如此一ツノ天目ニ茶巾仕込タルニハ、勿論カヘ茶碗ハ不入].



“If things are as shown [in the sketch], with the chakin placed in one of the temmoku, naturally a kae-chawan is not brought out.”







¹⁶Temmoku no naka ni futatsu hajime yori iru mo yoshi [天目ノ内ニ二ツ初ヨリ入ルモヨシ].

“Within the temmoku, two [chakin] may be placed from the beginning – this is also acceptable.”

Once again, the particle mo [モ] implies the possibility of doing the opposite: while this statement indicates that it is acceptable for two chakin to be placed in the dai-temmoku from the beginning, it is just as acceptable for only one to be placed there, with the second chakin (that will be used to wipe the fukuro-iri temmoku when it is time to prepare tea in it) carried out later, in a kae-chawan. Or even that it is equally possible that no chakin or chasen are placed in the dai-temmoku, with these (plus an extra chakin that will be used with the second temmoku) all brought out later, in a kae-chawan.







¹⁷Saredomo ryaku no yō naru yue, kae-chawan mochi-deru mo yoshi to iu-iu [サレトモ畧ノヤウナルユヘ、カヘ茶碗持出ルモヨシト云〻].

“However, because this might seem to be an abbreviation, it is also acceptable to bring out a kae-chawan [when serving tea in the second temmoku] – so it is said.”

As mentioned above, the host should take great pains not to suggest any inferiority between the service of the first and the second guest. Because both will drink the same kind of tea, a second chasen is not necessary. But a different chakin is essential.

If it seems inappropriate* for the second chakin to sit on the ji-ita while the host is preparing the first bowl of koicha, then a kae-chawan (containing just one chakin) should be brought out.

___________

*If it seems inappropriate to the second guest – that is, the host must try to guess what that nobleman will think.

If the second guest is well versed in chanoyu (as might be the case, particularly if the first guest knows little of such things), he will understand (from the way the best chawan is displayed without a shifuku, while the bowl that will be used for him is tied in its shifuku as a gesture of respect), and not take the placing of two chakin in the temmoku as an affront.

But if that guest is not likely to understand, it might be better to bring the second chakin out in a kae-chawan later.





¹⁸Shaku-naga no toki, naka-bon hakobite, temmoku wo naka-bon no ue ni te sabaku mo yoshi [尺長ノ時、中盆ハコヒテ、天目ヲ中盆ノ上ニテサハクモヨシ].

“When the shaku-naga [is placed on the ten-ita], a naka-bon* may be brought out, and the temmoku handled upon the naka-bon – this is also acceptable.”

Because handling the dai-temmoku directly on the mat could seem too informal, it would be best to handle it on a tray. If the tray displayed on the ten-ita is an ordinary nagabon, then the tray can be lowered to the mat, with the temmoku and its dai handled on it†. But if the tray is a shaku-nagabon (as seems to have been the original tray that was specified when this temae was created), then the nagabon cannot be lowered to the mat. In this case, the host should bring out a naka maru-bon, and handle the dai-temmoku on that.

When a naka-bon is used in this way, it will be placed in front of the host’s knees, 2-me or so to the left of the chaire-bon, and then the dai-temmoku should be lowered to the tray so it overlaps the central kane by one third, as usual. Then, when it is time to clean the temmoku-dai, the dai-temmoku should be moved toward the left, the temmoku lowered to the right, and so the dai can be cleaned with the host’s fukusa. Afterward, the temmoku is lifted back onto the dai, and the dai-temmoku is once again moved to its original place on the tray.

___________

*Though not specified in the kaki-ire, this must to the naka maru-bon [中丸盆]. The square version would be too small for this usage.

When the naka maru-bon is used for the dai-temmoku, then it might be better for the chaire-bon to be a square tray (which was the shape preferred by both Jōō and Rikyū) – both visually, and because the square tray is both easier to align correctly, and provides a strong line against which the naka maru-bon can be aligned.



†It is better if both the temmoku and its dai always remain on the nagabon. Moving the dai onto the mat during the chasen-tōshi, preparatory to cleaning it with the host’s fukusa, might strike the noblemen as offensive – since, under normal circumstances, everything used by them was always handled on some sort of stand or base, and never put directly on the matting.









——————————————–———-—————————————————





◎ Analysis of the Arrangement.

When the shaku-nagabon is used for the initial kazari, the chaire is subsequently placed on a chaire-bon, and the dai-temmoku should be handled on a naka maru-bon, according to the kaki-ire. Here we will only look at this version of the temae (since the other variants resemble temae that were discussed previously in Book Five).











The sketch above reproduces the arrangement of these utensils on the shaku-nagabon that is shown in the illustration that was included in Book Five of the Nampō Roku.

According to the narration of this temae by Kanshū oshō-sama, at the beginning of the temae, the host enters with the chaire-bon stacked on top of the naka maru-bon (with a fukusa in between them). The trays are temporarily set down on the left side of the mat. Then the shaku-nagabon is moved forward so that its rim is aligned with the front edge of the ten-ita.



The host then moves the chaire-bon in front of his knees*, cleans the chaire-bon with his fukusa, and then lowers the chaire onto the tray. The chaire-bon is then moved toward the right, so that it rests in front of the mizusashi (the tray should be 1-me from the front edge of the daisu, and 3-me from the right heri.

Next the host turns his attention to the naka maru-bon. The tray is picked up and moved in front of his knees, with its right edge 2-me from the left rim of the chaire-bon†. Then the dai-temmoku is lowered from the shaku-nagabon and placed on the naka maru-bon, in front of the host’s body and overlapping the central kane by one-third‡, as usual.

The fukuro-iri temmoku is then moved to the middle of the shaku-nagabon.

Next, the host moves the koboshi to the mat; and, after placing the futaoki on the mat, near the left side of the daisu, the host and guests bow for the sō-rei.

The utensil mat, at this point in time, would resemble what is shown below.











After a brief pause, the host then begins the preparation of tea, in the usual way: after preparing the chaire-bon**, the chaire is cleaned with the host’s fukusa, and then returned to the chaire-bon. Then the chashaku is cleaned, and rested on the tray, midway between the chaire and the left rim of the tray – as shown below.









The chasen is lifted out of the temmoku and stood on the right side of the mat, while the host warms and cleans the temmoku. When it is time to clean the dai, the dai-temmoku is moved toward the left, the temmoku lowered to the tray to its right, and so the dai can be cleaned with the host’s fukusa. After it has been cleaned, the temmoku is lifted back onto the dai, and the dai-temmoku repositioned so that the hane is once again 5-bu from the right rim of the naka maru-bon. The preparation of the first bowl of koicha proceeds as usual from this point.



As soon as the first bowl of koicha has been presented to the first nobleman, the host brings out a second temmoku-dai. This dai is rested temporarily on the left side of the utensil mat while the host cleans the naka maru-bon. Then the dai is lifted onto the tray, and the fukuro-iri temmoku is lowered onto it from the shaku-nagabon. After the shifuku has been removed, the temmoku and its dai are cleaned and prepared as usual, and a second bowl of koicha is prepared for the second nobleman.

The first dai-temmoku will probably be returned around the time when the second bowl of koicha is ready. The first dai-temmoku is taken back, bowl and dai cleaned, and then they are lifted up onto the shaku-nagabon.

When the second dai-temmoku is returned, the host cleans this bowl and its dai, and then concludes the temae in the usual manner.

The second dai-temmoku is lifted up to the naga-bon, and the bon-chaire is offered out for haiken.

The naka maru-bon is removed from the room, and afterward, the shaku-nagabon, with the two dai-temmoku resting on it.

While this temae has been narrated as a koicha-temae, in accordance with the commentaries and Kanshū oshō-sama’s explanation, in fact the same procedure could have been used to serve the two noblemen usucha††.

___________

*After moving the chaire-bon in front of his knees, the host folds the fukusa that is resting on top of the naka maru-bon, and inserts it into his left sleeve, since it will not be needed again during this temae.

The purpose of this fukusa is to keep the chare-bon from damaging the maru-bon. Like the fukusa that was placed under the Gassan-nagabon [月山長盆], and Chōshō rai-bon [趙昌雷盆], when these trays were displayed on the ji-ita of the daisu, this fukusa would be specially made for its purpose, and so would not be the same size as an ordinary temae-fukusa.

†This is an excellent illustration of the concept of tai-yō [躰用]. The chaire-bon is tai [躰], and the naka maru-bon is yō [用]. If the chaire-bon has been oriented correctly (this is why a square tray was preferred – since it is easier to orient, relative to the me and the front edge of the daisu), it is very easy to get the naka maru-bon into the right spot. And once this has been achieved, the dai-temmoku (which is now the yō) is lowered onto the naka maru-bon (which now becomes the tai) and placed so that it is the equivalent of 1-me (5 bu) from the widest point of the right rim of that tray.

Placement appears to be complicated, but in fact it is relatively easy, once the first object has been positioned correctly.



‡The right side of the hane of the temmoku-dai would be the equivalent of 1-me from the rim of the tray (if a meibutsu-sized temmoku-dai 5-sun 2-bu in diameter is being used; if the size of the dai is different, then the host should adjust this distance accordingly).

**The chaire-bon is cleaned with the fukusa again, to prepare it for receiving the chaire, after its shifuku has been removed and it has been purified with the fukusa.

††By the Edo period – and possibly even earlier – the noblemen would go to the small room for koicha, and then return to the shoin, where usucha would be served in a manner resembling what is described above.