Chitosebon (千歳盆）Otemae（お点前）- Chado Class 12/06/13

Yesterday, was my December Urasenke Chado class with Shino Sensei. The theme this month was: Chitosebon (千歳盆）Otemae（お点前）. The chitose bon (meaning "thousand years tray") is a chabitsu (tea container) that was designed by Kayoko, the wife of the 14th iemoto Tantansai. Kayoko also created the temae by the same name for Tantansai's sixtieth birthday. The chitose bon is made of wood finished in a deep brown lacquer. The edges of the lid, which serves the same role as a marubon in Ryakubon once the chitose bon is opened, is highlighted with red lacquer. All the utensils used with the exception of the binkake, tetsubin, and kensui are contained inside the Chitose Bon at the start of the temae and are placed back inside at the end. The teishu may enter and exit with the Chitose Bon, or may chose to display it with his or her folded fukusa on top. There are stong similarities between Chitose Bon and Ryakubon. Hence, the lid of the Chitose Bon serves the same role as the marubon in Ryakubon once removed. The inside surface of the lid of the original chitose bon is adorned with the following poem (translated into English) written by Kayoko to Tantansai:

The pine in the garden

Of color

Which changes not for a thousand years

May

Your life,

Too,

Be as this.

Kayoko

合掌,

Cody Kroll コーディクロール

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