Directory: October

Nakaoki: Kama and Incense

Tokonoma with utensils for a Daruma Memorial Tea. Kake-jiku, 掛軸, hang-scroll, with brushed picture of Daru-ma, 達磨, Attain-polish. Kō-ro, 香炉, incense-hearth, Kara-ji-shi, 唐獅子, Tang-lion-of, Shino-yaki, 志野焼, Aspire-field-fired. Flower in ceramic hana-tate, 花立, flower-stand, ceramic sake bottle, from Kami-ga-mo Jin-ja, 上賀茂神社, Upper-joyous-luxuriant God-shrine. Polished brass hi-tate, 火立, fire-stand, candlestick. Daru-ma, 達磨, Attain-polish, as Bodhidharma is known in Japan, was the founder of Chan Buddhism in China. He sat meditating in a cave for nine years. Bodhidharma was the 28th founder of Zen Buddhism, counting from Gautama Buddha, who is also regarded as the 28th Buddha. The monthly en-nichi, 縁日, edge-day, for Fu-dō Myō-ō, 不動明王, No-move Bright-king, a wrothful...

Nakaoki Ōita

Naka-oki, 中置, middle-place, arrangement with fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, set on an ō-ita, 大板, large-board; 14 x 14 sun kane-jaku. The center of the ōita is placed in the center of the han-jō, 半畳, half-tatami, equidistant from the four edges of the tatami. Placed in front of the ōita is the ya-hazu ita, 矢筈板, arrow-nock-board; length 14 x 9 sun kane-jaku. Perhaps the Nakaoki arrangement with ōita is the origin of the size of the yahazuita. The yahazu-ita is used to display a hana-ire, 花入, flower-receptacle, in the tokonoma, and most often placed in the middle of the tokonoma, rather like a Buddhist altar. There are slight variations...

October and Nakaoki

Naka-oki, 中置, middle-place, is an arrangement of utensils for a presentation in the month of October. The fu-ro, 風炉, wind-hearth, is placed in the exact center of the ten-mae, 点前, offer-fore, tatami, regardless of the size of the tatami. The shiki-ita, 敷板, spread-board, regardless of its size is placed in the center of the tatami, therefore the mizusashi is placed halfway between the left edge of the shiki-ita and the inside of the heri binding. The mizu-sashi, 水指, water-indicate, is placed to the left of the furo. A slender and somewhat taller, hoso mizu-sashi, 細水指, narrow water-handle, is used. The center of the mizusashi aligns with the...