Rikyuki: chanoyu of Sen No Rikyu commemoration

Like most of those who do already tea ceremony know, Sen no Rikyu is the founder of "modern" Japanese tea ceremony, the chanoyu as we know it today. He is, of course, the key figure, for all chado practitioners and was a man of great respect.

During its anniversary he is commemorated with a special tea ceremony called Rikyuki 利 休 忌 who often adding some variations as the seven lessons which I will discuss in depth in other posts.

There is much confusion on the exact day of the commemoration of Sen No Rikyu depending if you see the ancient calendar or the modern, some are celebrating at the end of February while others at the end of March.

I respect the commemoration date used by Omotesenke School to which I belong: on March 28.

Using commemorate our "founder" doing to its image in the scroll, hanging in the tokonoma, an offer of a ritual tea bowl. This bowl is prepared as you would the noble or important monks (he was actually a monk), namely with the aid of a pedestal to put under the cup, called tenmoku dai. The bowl that we use is, infact, a strictly tenmoku style bowl in black or white. After the teacher has prepared the bowl she system it out of its tatami where the first guest take it to bring in the tokonoma, as an offering to the Master.

After we complete this procedure we do the usual ceremony of tea usucha where all guests are served.

This occasion is not only important for the technical gestures, but also, and above all, to remind us that we are following the way: a way that is only superficially technical, but in reality is more complex if you want to live every day with the right spirit of chado practitioners.

March: Hinamatsuri month! (English post)

In Japan, tea ceremony is very tied to seasons and seasonal festivals and, when you think of a seasonal festival in early March, obviously, you'll think to Hinamatsuri or Dolls Festival Festival, also known as Girl's Festival.

This celebration, which in Japanese is said 雛 祭 り, is the third day of the third month (that is March 3) and sees in their homes, the collections of the dolls of the family put on a display lined in red fabric. These pedestals made in "steps", can also be very large.

The dolls usually represent the Emperor and Empress, and many of their servants and their court, and are dressed in the style of Heian.

This festival is also called Girls Festival because when a child is born, into a family, parents buy  dolls (and often do it also friends and family) and, every year, during this festival, the whole family prays that the bad luck  fall on dolls rather than on girls.

In March, Chanoyu uses objects, paintings and sweet with the typical designs of dolls of this Feast.

I decided to pay homage to this tradition using my cup with hina drawing depicting dolls dressed up in a tangle of branches with leaves and spring blooms. It 'a cheerful and festive chawan I love very much.