Sumiyoshiya Somu of Sakai came to possess it. After his death, Itamiya Sofu bought it at a price of one hundred kan and treasured it in his house, so it is said.
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Hideyoshi: Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-98), greatest lord in Japan after Nobunaga’s death; learned the tea ceremony from Rikyu
Odawara: city in Kanagawa Prefecture
shakuhachi: lit., “a shaku and eight,” hence a bamboo flower container 1 shaku 8 sun (55 em.) long, with no opening on the side. (p. 42). Shakuhachi is also the word for the Japanese bamboo flute.
Imai Sokyu (152-93): merchant and great tea master
Sumiyoshiya Somu (1534-1603): tea master and disciple of Rikyu
Itamiya Sofu: merchant and tea aficionado
kan: large monetary unit. One kan could buy about 20 koku (3,608 liters) of rice, i.e., enough to feed an adult for twenty years.
The first flower container that Lord Hideyoshi threw away hit a stone in the yard and cracked in some places. Rikyu picked it up and brought it home to Shoan as a souvenir. One day Rikyu hung it above the alcove with flowers arranged in it. His guest noticed that the tatami was wet with water leaking from the cracks, and asked Rikyu, “What is the matter with this flower container?”
Rikyu answered, “This leaking of water is very much like human life itself” Rikyu then thought of the sound of the bell of Miidera temple, and wrote “Onjoji, Shoan” on the container. Afterward gold powder was pasted on the writing. Later this flower container was passed on to Kanaya Sotei, and then Ebara Jisen of Kyoto bought it at a price of eight hundred ryo. One day Nomura Soji of Bishu Province, who had been staying in Kyoto, went to his friend Jisen to say goodbye. At that time Jisen said to him, “Do come up to Kyoto again next year without fail, on the occasion of the opening of the tea-leaf jar. The Onjoji flower container, which has not yet been used in a tea gathering, will be on display for the first time.” Soji came up to Kyoto again with the sole object of seeing it. The Onjoji really was displayed and the ceremony of opening the tea-leaf jar was conducted. A new tearoom had been constructed, but not a single piece of bamboo was to be seen. This was probably due to Jisen’s desire to pay deference to the bamboo of the Onjoji. The tea aficionados of Kyoto admired his taste.
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Shoan: Sen no Shoan (1546-1614), second son of Rikyu; tea master
Miidera or Onjoji: large temple in Shiga Prefecture, famous for its cracked bell, which Rikyu associates with the cracked flower container
Kanaya Sotei: merchant and tea aficionado
Ebara Jisen (ca. 1730): critic of lacquer ware
ryo: monetary unit, equal to about one-fiftieth of a kan
Nomura Soji: a very wealthy man
Bishu Province: Aichi Prefecture at present
opening the tea-leaf jar: The new tea leaves harvested in spring are sealed in the jar, which is opened in November or December. Then the leaves are ground into powder, which is kept in the caddy until it is wanted for making tea. (p. 53, 182)
9. Bamboo flower-containers.
Ebara Jisen had no children of his own, so he adopted his nephew, Tokusuke, brought him up, and bequeathed all his property to him. Later his family became poor. A merchant of Edo, Fuyuki by name, had desired to obtain the Onjoji flower container. Jisen had purchased it for eight hundred ryo, but Jisen’s descendants were impoverished, so they asked Fuyuki to buy it for a hundred ryo less. Fuyuki said that it would not be good to lower the price, because that might decrease the value of the utensil. Therefore, he had no wish to have the price reduced to seven hundred ryo, but would purchase it at the original price of eight hundred ryo. It was sold to Fuyuki as he desired.
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Edo: the old name for Tokyo
The katatsuki tea caddy named for Mozuya is a meibutsu very well known in the world. It is said to have been possessed by Oda Uraku.
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katatsuki: chaire with protruding shoulders (p. 71)
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