Tea Ceremony Utensils:
The Japanese tea ceremony is very complicated and intricate, and therefor requires multiple tools and utensils. Many of the tools used are stored in a chabako which is a medium sized wooden boxes with shelves for storage. It is usually made with a light and insect repelling wood that keeps weight to a minimum and keeps the utensils from being damaged by bugs. A daisu is a large wooden stand for the larger tea utensils, for example: the portable burner (furo), the ladel stand (shakutate), the waste water jar (kensui), and the water jug (mizusashi). The daisu is constructed without nails because the humid Japanese climate would cause the nails to corrode, damaging the wood. The Dora (copper gong) is used to call back the guests when the second round of tea is ready. It must be constructed by expert craftsmen who know the intricacies on melting and mixing metals. The finest gongs are said to produce beautiful sounds. The hachi is a bowl made of either wood or ceramics and is used to hold the food given to the guests. The furo is placed in an ash bed called hai. The hai is constructed into intricate shapes and is admired as part of the tea ceremony. The hana-ire is a vase usually made of bamboo, but the rules about its use are very vague so the host is responsible for its placement. The Kaishi is a napkin that is used to wipe the edge of the cup after drinking Koicha or as plate for the sweets. The kan are brass rings used to lift the kama because the