The Ashiya kettles were cast not at Ashiya in Settsu Province, but at Ashiya in Chikuzen Province. The kettles with designs sketched by Sesshu are said to be the best ones. Sesshu was a man of Iwami Province, but he often traveled to Ashiya and its vicinity. Metal craftsmen at Ashiya asked him to draw sketches for their kettles. It is said that the Ouchi family was most powerful and influential in those days. They employed the metal craftsmen of Ashiya and also invited Sesshu to draw designs which they had cast. His sketches were mostly of pine, cedar, plum, bamboo, and other trees.
Later, in the days of these craftsmen’s descendants, it once happened that a criminal who had committed a diabolical crime was sentenced to death by boiling in a caldron cast by Ashiya craftsmen. Since then, tea connoisseurs have disliked newly cast Ashiya kettles. Consequently, the craftsmen were forced to earn their living by casting only kitchen utensils such as pots and pans for daily use.
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Settsu Province: Hyogo Prefecture at present
Chikuzen Province: Fukuoka Prefecture at present
Sesshu: Sesshu Toyo (1420-1506), Buddhist priest and great sumie (ink painting) artist
Iwami Province: Shimane Prefecture at present
Ouchi family: lords of several provinces, including Iwami, and patrons of the arts
The Temmyo kettles were made by the kettle casters of Temmyo in Sano, Kamitsuke Province. They are also called Kanto kettles. The best meibutsu kettles were said to be those which were cast at Ashiya or at Temmyo.
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Kamitsuke Province: Tochigi Prefecture at present
Kanto: district taking in Tokyo and the surrounding area, including Temmyo
meibutsu: article of historical fame
A man named Tsuji Yojiro lived in Kyoto at the time of Rikyu, and he was a master of kettle casting. His descendants have not followed his art. His kettles are commonly called Kyo kettles. It is said Rikyu loved them so much that he possessed many kettles cast by Yojiro.
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Kyo: abbreviated form of “Kyoto”
6. Three kinds of iron kettle.
10. Metal Casters
Otogoze,Juton, shiribari, and so on are all names of meibutsu kettles of the time of Rikyu. The kettle rings made by the metal casters of Nara are commonly called Nara rings. The kettle rings cast by a man by the name of Kanamori Tokugen are said to be the best ones. Trivetshaped kettle-lid rests, pothangers, and other items were cast by him as well.
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otogoze: kettle with a rounded shape, like that of a moonfaced woman (otogoze)
futon: according to one opinion, a kettle shaped like a round cushion (futon); on another view, a kettle which Rikyu wrapped in a cushion for protection when it was lowered from a castle tower in which a tea gathering had been held
shiribari: kettle with the shape of wide hips (shiribari)
kettle rings: removable handles inserted into holes of a kettle when moving (p. 84)
7. Otogoze kettle.
11. The Placement of the Tankei
There seems to be no fixed rule as to where to place the tankei. This is said to be a comment made by Rikyu to Lord Nobunaga. (p. 31)
While Lord Hideyoshi was pitching camp at Odawara, Rikyu discovered a very fine type of Nirayama bamboo. Rikyu said to the lord that it could be made into an excellent flower container. On hearing this, the lord ordered him to cut the bamboo and work on it. So Rikyu got to work and produced an astonishingly marvelous masterpiece, and presented it to Hideyoshi. Contrary to his expectations the lord did not like it at all, but looked quite displeased with it, and threw it away into the yard. So Rikyu then worked another piece of Nirayama bamboo into a shakuhachi flower container, and showed it to Hideyoshi. This time it pleased him very much. Actually the new container was not so good as the first one, Rikyu said to himself, but the lord treasured the new one.
8. Contrary to Rikyu’s expectations, Hideyoshi was displeased with his flower container and hurled it into the yard.
Later, when Hideyoshi put Rikyu to death, the lord was so angry that he broke this flower container and threw it away. Imai Sokyu stealthily picked up the pieces and joined them together, and treasured the container. Years later, Sumiyoshiya Somu of Sakai came to possess it. After his death, Itamiya Sofu bought it at a price of one hundred kan and treasured it in his house, so it is said.
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Hideyoshi: Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-98), greatest lord in Japan after Nobunaga’s death; learned the tea ceremony from Rikyu
Odawara: city in Kanagawa Prefecture
shakuhachi: lit., “a shaku and eight,” hence a bamboo flower container 1 shaku 8 sun (55 em.) long, with no opening on the side. (p. 42). Shakuhachi is also the word for the Japanese bamboo flute.
Imai Sokyu (152-93): merchant and great tea master
Sumiyoshiya Somu (1534-1603): tea master and disciple of Rikyu
Itamiya Sofu: merchant and tea aficionado
kan: large monetary unit. One kan could buy about 20 koku (3,608 liters) of rice, i.e., enough to feed an adult for twenty years.
The first flower container that Lord Hideyoshi threw away hit a stone in the yard and cracked in some places. Rikyu picked it up and brought it home to Shoan as a souvenir. One day Rikyu hung it above the alcove with flowers arranged in it. His guest noticed that the tatami was wet with water leaking from the cracks, and asked Rikyu, “What is the matter with this flower container?”
Rikyu answered, “This leaking of water is very much like human life itself” Rikyu then thought of the sound of the bell of Miidera temple, and wrote “Onjoji, Shoan” on the container. Afterward gold powder was pasted on the writing. Later this flower container was passed on to Kanaya Sotei, and then Ebara Jisen of Kyoto bought it at a price of eight hundred ryo. One day Nomura Soji of Bishu Province, who had been staying in Kyoto, went to his friend Jisen to say goodbye. At that time Jisen said to him, “Do come up to Kyoto again next year without fail, on the occasion of the opening of the tea-leaf jar. The Onjoji flower container, which has not yet been used in a tea gathering, will be on display for the first time.” Soji came up to Kyoto again with the sole object of seeing it. The Onjoji really was displayed and the ceremony of opening the tea-leaf jar was conducted. A new tearoom had been constructed, but not a single piece of bamboo was to be seen. This was probably due to Jisen’s desire to pay deference to the bamboo of the Onjoji. The tea aficionados of Kyoto admired his taste.
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