Directory: Infinity in Time

Eight-Ten: Fukusa

Fuku-sa, 帛紗, cloth-gauze, purple silk; 9 x 9.5 sun kane-jaku or 7.2 x 7.6 sun kujira-jaku. The fuku-sa, 帛紗, cloth-gauze, is a square of silk fabric that is used by the host, tei-shu, 亭主, house-master, to purify utensils. The piece is made of a rectangle 1 x 2 kane-shaku, that is folded in half and hemmed on three sides. When not being used, the fukusa is folded in half diagonally twice, and tucked under the obi, 帯, sash, to the side. Before purifying certain Tea utensils, the fukusa is examined and folded, which is called fukusa sabaki. There is an issue with the word sabaki, as there...

Kobukusa and Mandala Part 2

In Chanoyu, when serving tea to a guest, the cha-wan, 茶碗, tea-bowl, may be placed on a ko-buku-sa, 古帛紗, old-cloth-gauze. The kobukusa is also used to display a revered object. There are countless types of fabrics, including treasured cloths from the past and also of foreign origin. The type of fabric reveals the choice and taste of the owner. Of the several sizes of kobukusa, the standard measures 4 x 4.2 sun kujira-jaku.The diagonally measurement is 5.8 sun kujira-jaku. The number 5 may represent the Go-rin, 五輪, Five-rings, principles, and the Go-gyō, 五行, Five-transitions, and the number 8, hachi, 八, is symbolic of Infinity in Space. When...

Chasen Suehiro

Outer tines are separated by intertwined threads from thinner, inner tines. The outer tines are bent outwards, the inner tines are bent inwards. The alternating tines create the Japanese number eight, hachi, 八, manifesting sue-hiro, 末広, ends-wide. The inner tines also create the number hachi in the opposite direction. The number eight is symbolic of Infinity in Space. The two variations of the number hachi, might evoke the number hachi-hachi, 八八, or hachi-jū-hachi, 八十八, which is exceptionally auspicious, symbolic of the center of the world. There are three threads that measure 8 sun kane-jaku, long, that are wound around the chasen, and that are left a little...