Unryū Gama

Unryū Gama

Un-ryū gama, 雲龍釜, cloud-dragon kettle, tetsu, 鉄, iron, with raised design of a dragon, depicting its head and right front claw with three talons holding a hō-ju, 宝珠, treasure-jewel, its left claw empty, and its body partially hidden among clouds.

 

 

 

The reverse side of the unryū gama, 雲龍釜, cloud-dragon kettle, showing part of the dragon’s body, clouds, and lines depicting rain.
Un-ryū kama no futa, 釜の蓋, kettle’s lid, has many concentric rings that appear to suggest water: diam. 5 sun kane-jaku.
Un-ryū gama, 雲龍釜, cloud-dragon kettle, lid removed, with kujira-jaku, 鯨尺, whale-span, to show measurements of the body of the kettle and the diameter of the lid.
Tsuru, 弦, bowstring; h. 6.5 x 7 sun kane-jaku, and ō-kan, 大鐶, large-metal rings; diam. 3.5 sun kane-jaku, used to hang a kettle, tsuri-gama, 釣釜, suspend-kettle.
Tsuri-gama, 釣釜, suspend-kettle, hanging over the ro, with a kane-jaku ruler showing the measurement between the lid of the kettle and the top of the harp, tsuru, 弦, bowstring.
Un-ryū gama, 雲龍釜, cloud-dragon kettle, and Se-to yaki, 瀬戸焼, Rapids-door fired, hitoe-guchi mizusashi, 単口水指, single-opening water-indicate, with reflections on the mirror-finish lacquered lid of the mizusashi. The ring in the knob of the lid of the kama is similar to the half-ring of the lid of the mizusashi that is completed in its reflection in the lacquered lid.
Un-ryū gama, 雲龍釜, cloud-dragon kettle, and Se-to yaki, 瀬戸焼, Rapids-door fired, hitoe-guchi mizusashi, 単口水指, single-opening water-indicate, with ripples on the surface of the water, emulated by the concentric rings on the lid of the kama.

For more information on Tea and Japanese culture in March, see also:  Tea in March, Tea in March Part 2, Unryū Gama, Unryū Gama – A Petal Puzzle, and Rikyū’s Take Jizai (video).