Futaoki (lid rests) (蓋置)

Futaoki, one of the tea ceremony equipment, is a rest on which the lid of the iron tea pot or the dipper end of the water ladle is placed; it is made of bamboo, metal, or ceramic. Futaoki made of bamboo is particularly called Hikikiri; bamboo used for Futaoki is invariably cut so that its roots turn upward. The way of cutting bamboo differs; when it is used with Furo (a portable brazier used in summer season), the bamboo node is situated at the top, which is called Tenbushi; when it is used with Ro (a fixed hearth used in winter season), the bamboo node is almost in the middle, which is called Chubushi. In the tea ceremony procedure using Tana (a shelf on which tea utensils are placed), Futaoki is usually displayed at the end of the tea ceremony; however, the bamboo-made Futaoki is not displayed except special ones. Those Futaoki named "Hoya," "Gotoku," "Ikkanjin," "Mitsuningyo," "Kani," "Sazae," and "Mitsuba," which were of the Rikyu's taste, are called 'Seven kinds of lid rests' and require a special treatment.

[Original Japanese]