The chakago combines a bowl, tea container, whisk, and scoop inside a basket, and like the tea box it developed from the need to make tea outdoors or while travelling. Using the cool texture particular to basketry, it suits summer thin-tea sittings and informal arrangements where lightness is wanted.
History
The chakago was used among connoisseurs from the Edo period, and procedures for it were organised comparatively recently at Urasenke and Omotesenke. Basket materials vary — bamboo, vine, kudzu, rattan — with production centres including Kyoto, Oita, and Miyazaki.
In practice
Where the tea box reads as compact and precise, the basket reads as cool and informal. The choice between them is a seasonal one as much as a practical one.
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
Tea ceremony descriptions can vary by school and source. Where interpretations differ, this glossary avoids definitive claims and focuses on broadly shared understandings. If you notice an error, please let us know viaContact. To learn about our organization, seeAbout Chaen.
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