Transmitted by the Kōnoike Family
Tea Scoop
Made of soot-stained bamboo, the lacquer has not been wiped off. It is a prime example of the so-called Rikyū-style tea scoop, featuring a high waist (arikoshi) and a sharp, pointed tip. The absence of lacquer wiping is a rare feature for the Rikyū era. My personal interpretation is that, as this was an impromptu creation during a boat trip at Karasaki, the lack of lacquer wiping is natural.
Case
A true case with chamfered edges, bearing a kerabon seal as its mouthmark. Inside, Rikyu’s own hand writes “Karasaki” in lacquer. The absence of lacquer wiping on the scoop and the lacquer inscription on the case again pose a puzzle. However, since the case need not have been carved aboard the boat but could have been fitted later, the lacquer inscription is not problematic.
Accessories
Inner box: Paulownia wood, slatted lid
Inside lid: Inscription by Kakukōsai Gansō: “Rikyū-made, Karasaki (signature)”
Outer box: Paulownia wood, black lacquer with gold powder lettering, inscription: “Karasaki”
Postscript
This is a renowned tea scoop widely known as a Kōnoike collection piece. The origin of its inscription is said to be when Rikyū, accompanying Lord Toyotomi on a boat excursion on Lake Biwa, carved it spontaneously aboard the vessel to serve tea, naming it after the lakeside location Karasaki. This is truly a tea scoop commemorating the excursion, and it is said to be an authentic, direct work crafted by Rikyū himself. Its presentation to Seta Sōbu, a disciple of Rikyū, was a fitting attribution of character, utilizing the Omi Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi) motif in the scoop’s inscription. The scoop comes alive depending on its recipient, and the gratitude felt by the recipient is profound. This reflects Rikyū’s intellectual brilliance. It later passed to Hisada Sōzen, entered the Kōnoike family via a box inscription by Genzō, and followed this provenance.
Listed in
Three Hundred Selected Tea Scoops
Dimensions
Tea Scoop
Length: 18.0 cm
Width: 0.6–1.1 cm
Thickness: 0.3 cm
Tube
Length: 20.7 cm
Diameter: 2.6 cm
