Page 369 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

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z8z Square tray of good fortune, decorates the lid of this ing of the fire needed to boil the water.
lacquer on wood incense container. The tsuishu technique, The incense must be carefully aimed so
diam. 18.1 (yVs) seen also on the peony and leaf incense that it falls close to the fire, but not too
Ming container (cat. 284) is effectively used close, thus prolonging the release of the
here. Budai is recognizable by his enor- scent that permeates the tearoom.
Eisei Bunko, Tokyo
mous belly and the bag that he carries to This incense container probably was
This lacquered tray was made in China collect alms. JIK crafted in China. Using a technique
during the early Ming period. Katatsuki known as tsuishu a design is carved
chaire, or square-shouldered thick tea con- 284 Incense container through several layers of lacquer revealing
tainers, were customarily displayed placed lacquer on wood the different colors lying below the sur-
in the middle of a square tray of this type. diam. 5.5 (zVs) face. This container has layers of red,
Since the purpose of the tray is to en- green, and yellow, which result in a variety
hance the beauty of the thick tea con- Ming of colors in the flowers, leaves and stems.
tainer, an unadorned, yet tastefully Eisei Bunko, Tokyo The tsuishu technique was commonly
lacquered tray is much preferred by tea used to highlight a pattern known as "red
people. Most thick tea containers, or Kdgd literally means "incense" and "to fit flowers and green leaves." Here the flower
chaire, are a shade of dark brown, which together"—a reference to the lidded con- is a peony, which gives a distinct feeling of
contrasts nicely with the red color of the tainer. The incense container in the tea Chinese elegance and taste.
tray. Visible cracks on the tray's surface gathering holds the incense until it is Materials used in making incense con-
are evidence of natural aging. The bottom added directly to the fire beneath the ket- tainers can include lacquer, wood, metal,
is covered with black lacquer and marked tle. This utensil should not be confused bamboo, shell, or ceramic. Lacquer in-
by an unidentifiable red seal. JIK with an incense burner or censer, which cense containers were often part of the
were displayed in the tokonoma (alcove) shoin style of decoration. The early prefer-
until late in the Momoyama period. The
283 Incense container incense container is used in conjunction ence for Chinese wares was later replaced,
lacquer on wood with the charcoal ceremony, which, along as native and Korean wares were gradually
1
diam. 6.2 (2 /4) with the serving of the meal and making of integrated into the tea gathering and ob-
Ming the tea, is an integral component of a com- jects from everyday use were adapted. Ri-
from
Eisei Bunko, Tokyo plete tea gathering. Skillful placing of the kyü enjoyed choosing tea utensils which
among the most ordinary objects,
charcoal encourages the successful burn-
The plump figure of the beggar monk Bu- were often overlooked by others.
dai (J: Hotei, cat. 80), one of the seven gods The modern-day tea gathering is of-

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