| | The first tea ceremony workshop of this year was held at the Shimojo residence on Saturday, April 26.
The lesson focused on those works at a MIZUYA (a tiny section of a room separated by a wall from the tea room, designed as a preparation work place for the tea ceremony).
Preparations include work such as sifting MATCHA to a fine powder, and placing it in a tea caddy to make a mountain shape.
Such work is easier said than done. Concentration is a must.
Squeezing dry a wiping cloth, and folding it in a proper way has its own natural process that must be followed.
Participants spent quite a bit of time to learn how to wipe a tea bowl with this cloth.
Such works are not visible to guests at a tea ceremony, but the server must learn these preparation tasks.
After learning about these behind-the-scenes work, we made tea and enjoyed it with home-made KASUTERA (a Japanese cake with a baking technique that originated in Portugal in the mid-1500s, which was then customized to Japanese tastes).
The next lesson will be held on Saturday, June 14th.
Report by Atsuko Shimojo | | 4月26日(土)，ウッドストックの下條宅で本年度1回目の茶道の練習がありました。
今回は、水屋での仕事に重点を置きました。抹茶をふるい、棗に山高に美しく入れる。
簡単なようで、これも又難しいもので、集中力が必要です。茶巾の絞り方、たたみ方、
茶碗に茶巾を仕込む事などを練習いたしました。水屋での仕事は、裏方の準備ですが、
これは、とても大切で、お点前と同様に覚えていただきたいことです。
その後、お盆でのお点前いたしました。お薄を美味しく点てるのも、なかなか修練が
いるものです。 手製のカステラと共に薄茶を味わいながら、抹茶と湯の量の加減など
学ぶ事が多いと話しておりました。
次回は6月14日(土)に予定しています。
下條篤子 記 | |
