Chashaku Set, Tea Scoop Set: Chashaku, Tea Scoop

Chanoyu is the ceremonial consumption of tea in Japanese culture. The practice involves numerous kinds of rituals, philosophies, and utensils. One utensil is the chashaku, or tea scoop. The chashaku is designed to be long and slender to extract matcha from tea caddies, and the small tip precisely measures the amount of powder that goes into a serving of tea. Tracing its origins to China, the first version of the chashaku was called shin style, which is defined by its straight handle. During these early years, only the rich and noble classes participated in chanoyu, and as a result, the shin style chashaku were usually made of gold and ivory to reflect this status. This particular chashaku is made in a similar fashion, bearing the defining straight handle of shin style. However, unlike the pompous designs of the past, this chashaku is not made from expensive materials, but rather simple wood. This hints that it was made more recently.

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