“The Story of the Chaire Tea Caddy Lid”
The lid of this chaire tea caddy has black streaks. These streaks are known as *su* (“nest”) or sometimes *mushikui* (“worm-eaten”). However, they are neither caused by insects nor actual holes. Because the black marks resemble nests, lids with such markings are called *subuta* (“nest lids”).
Sen no Rikyū regarded these black streaks as imperfections and is said to have positioned the tea caddy so that the *su* faced the *katte-tsuke* side (to the host’s left, farther from the guest).
In contrast, his disciple Furuta Oribe viewed these marks as “scenery” (*keshiki*) and placed them on the *kyaku-tsuke* side (to the host’s right, closer to the guest), so that they would be visible.
It is said that Rikyū was deeply impressed by Oribe’s aesthetic sensibility.
I find this story particularly fascinating. In appreciation of this tradition, I place the *su* on the right side (the guest’s side).
The photograph shows a work by Kawamoto Ryōshō, born in 1948.
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