Chashaku Tea Scoop from Nachi Sacred Tree — 'Hiryu' Flying Dragon, Shrine Seal, Paper Box

The wood of Nachi Shrine carries something that cannot be lacquered onto other timber. This chashaku (tea scoop) was shaped from a sacred tree (御神木) of Nachi Taisha — one of Japan's oldest and most venerated shrines — and given the poetic name 飛龍 (Hiryu, Flying Dragon). The grain runs like water under the warm reddish-brown surface. The curve of the scoop is not a tool's curve; it is a contemplation's.

[ DETAILS ]
• Form: Chashaku (tea scoop)
• Length: 18.6 cm
• Material: Sacred wood of Nachi Shrine (那智御神木)
• Poetic name (銘): 飛龍 (Hiryu — Flying Dragon)
• Provenance: Paper box bearing calligraphy 那智御神木 and shrine vermilion seal stamp
• Condition: Fine, with natural warm wood patina

[ CULTURAL CONTEXT ]
Nachi Taisha sits in the deep mountains of Kumano, Wakayama — part of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage network designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The shrine complex, which encompasses Nachi Falls (Japan's tallest waterfall), has been a site of spiritual practice since at least the 4th century. Trees within the shrine precincts are considered sacred (御神木), their timber imbued with the spiritual presence of the site.

In chado, the chashaku is among the most intimate utensils — it touches both the tea and the hand. A scoop carved from sacred wood brings not merely provenance but the sense of a continuous ritual lineage: from pilgrims ascending the Kumano mountains to the practitioner who lifts this scoop each morning.

The poetic name 飛龍 — Flying Dragon — evokes the dragon as a figure of transformation and ascent: the waterfall at Nachi, falling from height, is itself sometimes imagined as a dragon's descent. This chashaku holds the mountain inside the tea room.

[ 日本語説明 ]
那智大社御神木を用いた茶杓、銘「飛龍」。世界遺産・熊野の霊木から削り出された18.6cmの茶杓は、温かみのある赤褐色の木目が美しく、緩やかな掬い部に職人の手が感じられます。紙箱には「那智御神木」と揮毫され、朱の社印が押されています。茶道具として、また御守りとしての文化的価値を持つ一品です。

🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ]
• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days
• Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking)
• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials