Hira-demae is the standard thin-tea procedure in which utensils are carried in rather than displayed on a stand. It covers a school's basic gestures in full, and the procedures using stands and the formal daisu are all learned on top of it. It is the procedure practised most often.
When it is practised
From the point a beginner has finished the introductory exercises through to the most advanced levels. There is a hearth version and a brazier version, and each season's form is worked back into the body as the season comes round. Practitioners return to it throughout their study.
What happens
The bowl, tea container, waste-water vessel, and water jar are carried in; the container and scoop are purified with the silk cloth; the whisk is checked in hot water; the bowl is wiped with the linen cloth. Matcha is lifted in, water poured, tea whisked and served; the utensils are examined and taken out. Every more elaborate procedure branches from this sequence.
Sources
- 平点前（デジタル大辞泉 / 精選版 日本国語大辞典） / コトバンク
Supports: 平点前が「茶の湯で、濃茶・薄茶の基本的な点前」で、棚物・相伝物などの特殊な点前と区別されるものであること
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.
Term info
- Category
- Etiquette
Related terms
- Temae (the procedures of preparation)temae
The choreographed sequences for handling utensils and preparing tea; the substance of what students practise.
- Chakai (open tea gathering)chakai
A larger, less formal event with several sittings in a day; the usual way for newcomers to attend tea.
- Ryurei (seated procedure at a table)ryurei
A procedure performed at a table with stools, so that guests who cannot kneel can still take part.
- Jo-ha-kyu (beginning, development, close)jo-ha-kyu
A three-part structuring of pace, applied to a whole gathering and to individual procedures.
- Warigeiko (part practice)warigeiko
Practising individual gestures in isolation, apart from any complete procedure; the foundation of everything else.