THE WATER BASIN

手水鉢（ちょうずばち）



The Water Basin or Chozu-bachi is the symbol of purity both in the physical and also the spiritual sphere, for there in the inner Roji in which it is placed all the "dust of the world" is finally washed away and the devotee of Cha-no-yu enters another atmosphere.

手水鉢（ちょうずばち）は精神修養の場の清浄のシンボルとして内露地に置かれています。世間の埃を洗い流し、茶の湯と言う別世界への入り口の水場と言う感じでしょうか？

Hence it is the central point of this part on the garden.

それ故に庭の中心点になるのです。

Moreover the Water Basin of a Tea-room is of a different kind from that used in ordinary gardens, in that it is placed low on the ground instead of on a pedestal.

加えて、茶室における手水鉢は他の庭にある台付きの手水鉢とは違い、低いところに置かれています。

Hence its name "Tsukubai" or "Crouching Basin." It is the conventionalized form of a pool in some secluded valley into which run the mountain brooks.

よって別名「つくばい」と呼ばれ「かがむ」と言う意味があります。人郷離れた岩肌の山を走り、岩のくぼみにたまる命の水を飲む場面を想像して下さい。

Here it is probably also a suggestion of the parable of Taoism concerning the greatness of a kingdom which says: "it is like a down-flowing rill, the central point toward which all the smaller streams under heaven converge."

ここは老子の詩の言葉を表現したのです、「天から下る細い細い小川の水が集まる場所」。

And to use this Tsukubai it is necessary that all, even the greatest of men, must stoop low on the ground, for it is by humility that the true Sage is known.

つくばいを使うと言うことは、大地にひれ伏し、おごること無く、謙虚になることが賢人の条件で有るとを知る、それを指し示しているのです。



The cavity of the Water Basin should be seven inches across by six deep in the case of round opening. Other shapes are the Senkata or round with a square hole, Hyotan-kata or Gourd-shaped and Ichimonji-kata or Character-one-shaped. If a bucket be used instead of a Stone Basin, one made of Chamaeparis Pisifera is best with a Pine Lid and a dipper of Hinoki.

手水鉢の直径は約１８ｃｍ、深さ約１５ｃｍの丸形空洞です。他の形には、四角いもの、ひょうたん型や一文字型等があります。もし石の鉢以外であれば松木の蓋で下が檜のものがよいとされています。

The water in the Chozu-bachi is called Pure Water. Another receptacle is provided for washing the hands after using the Setsin. This is called Not-pure Water.

手水鉢は別名、清水と呼ばれています。トイレの為の手洗容器も用意されていますが、そちらは清水とは言いません。

Rikyu's Water Basin is now in Kiyomizu-dera. It is called the Owl Water Basin. It is square with Buddhist figures carved in the four sides hence also called Shifo-Butsu or Four-sided Buddha Basin. The water is led to it by a bamboo spout. It was made by Rikyu on the model of the famous Basin now in the Imperial Museum at Tokyo that was plased in the Ginkakuji at Kyoto by Soami when this palace was built for Yoshimasa. It is 2.3 feet high by 2.1 feet wide, and has Four Buddhas carved on it in low relief. It is said to have come originally from the Hoshoji (founded 1148) for the founder of whith, the Kwampaku Fujiwara Tadamichi, it was made. When this temple was pull down it get buried in rubbish and was resurrected by Soami.

利休の手水鉢は現在は清水寺にあります。梟手水鉢と呼ばれ、その形は四角で、四方にはそれぞれ仏様が彫られていて、別名、四方仏手水鉢とも呼ばれています。これは現在は東京帝国美術館にある物を本歌に利休によって作られました。この本歌は京都銀閣寺にあったもので、足利義政の時代のものです。相阿弥と言う人が寄進しました。６ｃｍ×５ｃｍぐらいの大きさで四人の仏様が彫られています。関白藤原忠通が創始者の法勝寺というお寺に有ったものを、その後このお寺が壊されて、相阿弥が再興してその時の物です。



The Water Basin is set on a supporting stone that should be visible above the surface of the ground if the basin is low one, but should be flush with it if it be high.

手水鉢は水が飛び散らない様に地面低くに据え付け、固定石も目に見える様に並べられています。

Its purpose is to give a firm base for the Water Basin which should be and appear perfectly steady and immovable.

それは手水鉢をしっかりと固定している状態を完全な形で見せる意図があります。

Though one usually finds a large Basin in a large Roji and a smaller in a more, circumscribed one, there are cases where a large one looks well in a small garden and vice verse, so that it is difficult to lay down any exact rule.

通常、広い露地に大型の鉢が置かれています。また、小さい物が置かれたりもしていてる場合がありますが、限定的です。小さい庭にも大きな鉢が置かれることが多いので多目的に使われるのだと思います。特別な規則は無いと思われます。

In front of the Basin and about two feet and a half from it, center to center, is the Front Stone, and to the left of this and about midway between the two is a rather small stone called the candlestick Stone, while on the right side opposite is a larger one, the hot Water Vessel Stone.

鉢の正面、約６ｃｍのところに正面石が置かれ左右奥にそれよりも小さな石が置かれています。左側の石はろうそく立石、右は湯桶石と言います。

The space between these stones and the Basin is cemented or pebbled and enclosed with an edging of stones or little stakes as is usual in water basins, and in the middle of this space a group of five round pebbles is to be placed as a splash breaker.

鉢とこれらの石は、塗り固められていたり小石や添え木で押さえられています。それぞれの石の間には丸石が敷かれていて、水しぶきが飛ばないように工夫されています。

Should the Water Basin be round then the Front Stone should be rather square in shape and vice verse.

配置はこれが基本で中央の石は四角い形がよい様で多目的に使われます。

The water basin is not well placed if it is too much in the shade, but it is even worse if there is none at all.

手水鉢は日陰や日の全く入らない場所へ据えてはいけません。

A stone lantern is often placed behind the Water Basin to illuminate it. Various shapes are used, as for instance the Enshu shape, the Oribe shape, the Michi shirube or Mile post shape or a variety of the Yukimi or Snow Viewing shape with the legs replaced by a low stone base, a simple rustic type of natural stone being preferred. In front of the lantern is a stone called the Lamp-lighting Stone.

石灯籠はしばしば手水鉢の後ろに置かれ灯りの役割をはたします。形としては遠州方、織部方や道行灯籠、雪見灯籠等々、基礎石の上に置かれています。素朴な田舎風の物が好まれる様です。灯りを照らす灯照石なるものもあります。





A rather uncommon setting for a Water Basin is that called Koke Shimizu or Mossy Spring, in which a bamboo fence shaped like an opened two-fold screen is placed behind a Crouching Basin with the dipper is placed.

一般的ではありませんが、苔清水と呼ばれ竹の囲いがあり手水鉢の後ろについたてと柄杓が置かれた形の物があります。

A well with its attendant stones, the Water-drawing Stone in front and the Bucket Stone at the left side, may sometimes be found behind the water basin, and behind this again there may be a screen fence known as Yori-gata Sodegaki or Armour pattern screen fence. In other Tea-gardens the well forms a separate feature by itself beside the gate of the Inner Roji.

石に囲まれた井戸がある場合があります。手水石が正面にあって左に桶石があり、手水鉢が備え付けられてあるものもあります。ヨリガタソデガキと呼ばれる壁がその後ろにあって、たいていの場合、井戸は内露路入り口の横に備えつけられていることが多いです。

The use of the Tukubai or Crouching Water-basin was evidently not general at first, for when Ieyasu made one at Sumpu, Honda Masazumi remonstrated with him, saying that most people made their ablutions standing. Ieyasu replied that even the Shogun (Hidetada) would have to crouch down at this, much more any lesser person. (Tokugawa Jikki.)

つくばいは初め一般的ではありませんでした。使ったのは家康の駿府城が初めてです。本多正純が家康に沐浴は立ってしますっと忠申した折り、家康が言いました「天下人、将軍秀忠もここでつくばわなければならない」。

At the same period Oribe made a high basin in the garden of the Tea-room of the Shogun called Yamasato at Edo Castle. But in the days of Iemitsu the third Shogun, Kobori Enshu was ordered to remodel this garden and made the basin low. Iemitsu enquired why he did so and Enshu said that it was made during the lifetime of Ieyasu so it was made high for his special convenience when he came to Edo. But since then all the Tokugawas have had low ones like anyone else. This answer pleased Iemitsu who was a great worshipper of his mighty grandfather.

同じ年代に織部が江戸城内山里という所に茶室を作りました。時代が下り三代将軍家光の時、小堀遠州がその茶室の再設計を担当し、つくばいを低くしたときの事です。家光からなぜそうするのかを尋ねられた彼は言いました。「この茶室は家康殿が江戸に来られた時に使われていたものですが、現在は徳川将軍家の他、天下人はございません。それでここにつくばいを置きます。」これを聞いた家光は大変喜びました、彼は祖父の家康をもっとも尊敬していたのです。







INTRODUCTION-1 TITLE CONTENTS