| Name | Chashaku 茶杓 (“tea scoop”) |
|---|---|
| Mei | The poetic name given by its maker — often a season word or Zen phrase |
| Accessories | The tomozutsu (maker-inscribed tube) and box strongly affect value |
The scoop derives from Chinese ivory tea spoons, but wabi tea remade it in bamboo; its present form settled around the time of Takeno Jōō and Sen no Rikyū. Rikyū’s own scoops — above all “Namida” (Tears), carved before his death — still move tea people today.
It is the one utensil tea masters habitually carve themselves. The node’s position divides scoops into moto-bushi, naka-bushi and fushi-nashi, and with a name and inscribed tube, a sliver of bamboo becomes the voice of the gathering.
Wiped with the fukusa at the start of the procedure — a gesture of the heart, not mere cleaning.
About one and a half scoops (roughly 2 g) per bowl of thin tea.
Offered to guests for appreciation; never touch the tip with bare fingers.
Value centers on a signed tube and box. A loose scoop without them is worth much less.
Inspect the tip for chips and the shaft for insect damage; some are lacquer-repaired.
Groove, speckles and staining are matters of taste — choose what pleases you.
Scoops by grand masters command far higher prices than workshop pieces.
Pieces of this kind held in the gallery will appear here.
