日本語は英語の後に続きます。Japanese follows.
The “leaf lid” which uses leaves as the lid of
“mizusashi (fresh water container)” was
invented by Gengensai, the 11th Urasenke
tea master, and is a midsummer tea
ceremony to enjoy a cool feeling.
Gengensai began to use the flower pot of
his favourite Suehiro basket as a “mizusashi”
and the paper mulberry leaf as a lid.
The flower pot is a black-lacquered Japanese
cypress with thin rectangle shaped gold foils,
and it is said to have been used by Gengensai
at the tea ceremony of Tanabata (The star
festival). (Briefly written on The Star Festival)
The leaf is folded, stick its stem into the leaf,
and drop it into “kensui (rinse-water receptacle)”.
It is a wonderful hospitality prepared only for
the guests at that time.
As taught in “it is cool in summer and warm
in winter”, one of Rikyu’s Seven Rules, it reminds
us of a cool shade of green. I had a flat tea bowl
of matcha with a Japanese wagashi sweet
called “Utakata (bubbles floating on water)”.
葉を水指の蓋として用いる「葉蓋」は、裏千家
11代玄々斎の創案で涼を楽しむ盛夏のお点前。
玄々斎お好みの末廣籠の花入の受け筒を水指に
見立て、梶の葉を蓋にして使用したのが始まり。
受け筒は、黒塗りの桧の曲げ物に短冊状の切箔
を施したもので、玄々斎が七夕の茶会で使用
したと伝えられている。
葉は折りたたみ、茎を葉に刺して建水に落とす。
その時のお客様だけに用意した素敵なおもてなし。
利休七則のひとつ「夏は涼しく冬は暖かに」の
教えの通り、涼やかな緑陰を思わせる。お菓子
も涼やかに「うたかた」と平茶碗で一服。