The chashaku 茶杓 is also referred to as “the sword of the tea master”. Beginning with Sen-no-Rikyu and Furuta Oribe, many tea masters have carved their own chashaku to express their personal aesthetic sense. These chashaku are known through historical record, and some survive to this day.
Just as a Zen monk puts their whole spirit into their brush when creating their work of calligraphy and just as a warrior puts all of their power into a single cut of the sword, the chashaku is the ultimate utensil that embodies the tea master’s soul.
You don’t need to be a tea master to make your own chashaku. Chanoyu Week NYC 2023 presents this lecture, workshop, and matcha making session to offer you first-hand experience – no prior knowledge required. Once you finish carving and are ready to enjoy tea, the final touch is naming your chashaku with a simple word that symbolizes your thoughts in this special moment. Let’s carve the one and only chashaku in the world that represents the “you” in 2023 together!
