With a note by Kōgetsu, Kōhō-an Collection
Tea Scoop
Though made of rustic bamboo, the way the tip is bent holds special charm. The bend is extremely thin, showing a light, leaping quality. It is the so-called “Arima-yama style.”
The nodes are chamfered, revealing a shaving mark beneath each node.
Case
The case features Enshū’s signature shinogi carving, naturally made from the same bamboo as the scoop. Perhaps due to age, the bottom is missing. The front bears Enshū’s inscription: “Made at Arima Hot Springs in Settsu Province. Gōhō Sōfu.” The right side displays two lines by Priest Kōgetsu: “Why not use Arima Mountain bamboo? Suddenly transformed into tea utensils, effortlessly.”
Accessories
Replacement shaft: Inscription possibly by Yoshida Dosha. Front: “〆 Arima Mountain Replacement Shaft, Ko.” Back: “Early autumn day of the ninth year of Kyoho, Kyo-jin, Yoshida Dosha made this shaft, donated to Kando-an.”
Inner box: Paulownia, unfinished wood. Inscription possibly by Ko-un: “Arima Mountain Tea Scoop, Record of Zen Master Kyo-so, made by So-ho.”
Middle box: Cypress, natural wood. Inscription by Kobori Taikan, 13th Abbot of Gohō-an: “Arima-san tea scoop.”
Inside lid: Inscription by the same hand: “Arima-san tea scoop replica, along with red-ground Kinran pouch and outer box, donated by Ijūin Kanetsune. November, Meiji 26 (1893). Taikan (signature).”
Outer Box: Paulownia, Unfinished Wood, Inscription by Kobori Gesshu, Fifteenth Generation of Gohōan
Postscript
Though regarded throughout history as a representative work of Enshū tea scoops, it deviates from Enshū conventions—such as not being made from unusual bamboo and not employing the Teika-ryū style of Enshū calligraphy—because it was an impromptu creation during a visit to Arima for hot spring therapy. The inscription “Kōshū Zenji no Ki” on the inner box refers to the later inscription by Kōgetsu on the tube.
Published in
Three Hundred Selected Tea Scoops
Dimensions
Tea Scoop
Length: 17.5 cm
Width: 0.5–1.1 cm
Thickness: 0.25–0.4 cm
Tube
Length: 19.7 cm
Diameter: 2.1–2.5 cm
Owner
Kyoto, Daitoku-ji Temple, Gohō-an
