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’s slender handle and curved tip allow it to reach into and precisely extract matcha from tea caddies for each serving of tea. Over centuries, the design of the Chashaku underwent numerous transformations reflecting the rapid socioeconomic changes of Japan. During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the tea master Sen no Rikyū created a new version called the su style. This new style featured a center indent in the handle, embodying the popular contemporary philosophy of wabi or the beauty in imperfection. To this day, Su style remains the most popular iteration of the Chashaku design. This particular Chashaku follows this same style, identifiable by the indent in the center of the handle.

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