The hira-natsume keeps the height of the body low and is flattened in relation to its width. It is used widely in summer thin-tea sittings to build arrangements that feel cool, its low stance producing lightness and openness.
It is the representative summer form among natsume, opposite in feeling to the taller medium and small sizes.
Origins
The form came to be favoured among practitioners who valued summer arrangements, and many examples to the taste of successive heads of the schools are transmitted.
In practice
It pairs naturally with the flat summer bowl and the brazier: the whole arrangement lowers and opens out as the season warms.
Sources
- 棗（改訂新版 世界大百科事典） / コトバンク
Supports: 棗が「ナツメの実の形状に由来する抹茶の容器」で、薄器と同義語として用いられること。形状の種類として「大、中、小、平、尻張、胴張、長丸」が挙げられ、「平」が棗の代表的な形状区分の一つとされること
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.
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Related terms
- Natsume (thin-tea container)natsume
The standard lacquered container for thin tea, named after the jujube fruit it resembles.
- Chaki (tea containers, collectively)chaki
The general term for vessels holding matcha, divided into thin-tea containers and thick-tea jars.
- Usuchaki (thin-tea containers, collectively)usuchaki
The general category of containers for thin tea, of which the natsume is the representative form.
- Naka-natsume (medium thin-tea container)naka-natsume
The standard middle size of natsume, and the container through which the basic handling is learned.
- Ko-natsume (small thin-tea container)ko-natsume
A smaller natsume, light in feeling and standard in the portable box and basket procedures.
- Nakatsugi (cylindrical thin-tea container)nakatsugi
A cylindrical container separating at the middle; an older form than the natsume.
- Yukibukiyukibuki
A thin-tea container with a wider mouth and fuller body, suited to large decorative surfaces.