Ennosai (1872-1924) CHASHAKU Japanese bamboo tea scoop #5126

- length: approx. 18.2cm (7 11⁄64in)

- weight: 3g (gross 95g)

- written on the case and box: Kayamori (oak tree forest)

Ennosai
1872-1924
male
13th Generation Urasenke Headmaster

Ennosai Tecchu Sōshitsu was born in 1872 as the eldest son of Yabunyo Sōshitsu, the 12th generation head of the Urasenke school of tea. Yabunyo Sōshitsu retired in 1885, and at the young age of 15, Ennosai inherited the name Sōshitsu and became the 13th head of the Urasenke family. Given his youth and the fact that he had just begun his training in tea ceremony, it is said that he received guidance from his mother during this period.

While living in Tokyo during his youth, Ennosai was offered financial support of 3,000 yen (equivalent to approximately 50 million yen today) by the influential businessman Ijuin Kanezane, on the condition that he "give up the way of tea and pursue academic studies." However, Ennosai declined this offer, declaring his intention to "make a living through the Way of Tea." Moved by his determination, Ijuin became a lifelong supporter of the Urasenke school.

Following this, Ennosai devoted himself to the development of the Urasenke tea tradition alongside his disciples.

Ennosai is recognized as a tea master who made efforts to transform the tea ceremony, previously regarded as a rigid and formal practice, into something more accessible, helping it evolve into the "cultural activity" it is known as today.

Since the Edo period, tea ceremony had primarily been an activity for men. Ennosai, however, believed that women should also be able to learn and enjoy tea. He introduced tea ceremony into girls' school education as part of etiquette training, and he initiated summer training courses, a practice that has since become a tradition in Urasenke.

Furthermore, by publishing texts like "Koshū Jūrokka Jō" (The Sixteen Practices of Tea) and "Konnichian Nippō" (Konnichian Daily Report), Ennosai made the previously secret and orally transmitted teachings of tea ceremony accessible to everyone.

In this way, Ennosai advocated for a tea practice not bound by tradition, making it enjoyable for all, and devoted himself to the continued development of the Way of Tea.

Chashaku, tea scoop, was　originally a scoopula, dispensing scoop, which had been used in China. Many of them were metal made ones and had a taro's leaf like form scoop with a handle whose top was a ball like form to crush Chinese herb with it. Meanwhile, in Japan, people used chashaku as a tool to put powdered green tea into tea bowl.
At the end of Muromachi period, however, the tea ceremony was founded, and the ceremony's style in which host sit in company with the guest(s) in the same room and made tea in front of the guest(s) began. The host spooned up powdered green tea out of bottle, which was made of wood and kept the powder. Then chashaku made of metal did not suit for the use because it may damage the bottle and spooning up powders out of the bottle was difficult because of the chashaku's wide scoop. Therefore, Shutoku, a disciple of Juko Murata(1422-1502) developed his original wooden lacquered chashaku, whose shape was suitable for satisfying the condition. It was called "Shutoku-gata".
After that, bamboo made chashaku was developed. It was used as a disposal, single use tool.
Since the era of Rikyu, however, people began to put it back into a hollow bamboo utensil. In addition, people began to decorate the bamboo utensil with a stylized signature. At this point, people got to love a combination beauty of a chashaku and a hollow bamboo utensil. As time goes by, many tea experts have made hand-made bamboo chashakus and various chashakus has been made to love the shape of them as well as today.