{"product_id":"zen-bamboo-tea-scoop-named-shitamoe-by益州-of-kenninji-temple-kyoto-with-bamboo-case-tomobako","title":"Zen Bamboo Tea Scoop Named 'Shitamoe' by益州 of Kenninji Temple, Kyoto — With Bamboo Case \u0026 Tomobako","description":"A bamboo chashaku named 'Shitamoe' — first stirring beneath the earth — crafted by 益州 (Ekishu), abbot of Kenninji, one of Kyoto's Five Zen Mountain temples. The golden bamboo curves with natural intention, housed in its original bamboo tube and signed tomobako. A named tea scoop carries a season; this one carries early spring before it arrives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTags: zen bamboo chashaku, named tea scoop japan, kenninji temple kyoto, japanese tea ceremony tool, bamboo tea utensil signed, chado matcha accessory, zen abbot inscribed piece, japanese tea scoop tomobako, antique chashaku bamboo, signed bamboo utensil kyoto\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e▪ ITEM DETAILS\u003cbr\u003e• Object: Chashaku (bamboo tea scoop)\u003cbr\u003e• Name (Mei): 下萌 (Shitamoe — first underground stirring of spring)\u003cbr\u003e• Maker: 建仁寺 益州 (Ekishu, Kenninji Temple, Kyoto)\u003cbr\u003e• Length: approx. 18 cm\u003cbr\u003e• Bamboo tube length: approx. 21.4 cm \/ diameter approx. 2.5 cm\u003cbr\u003e• Condition: No chips or cracks; minor age patina on bamboo — consistent with use and time\u003cbr\u003e• Provenance: With original bamboo tube and signed tomobako (artist's own box)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e▪ CULTURAL CONTEXT\u003cbr\u003eKenninji (建仁寺), founded in 1202, stands as the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto and the first among the Five Mountain temples. Its abbots have long engaged with the tea ceremony as a direct expression of Zen mind. A chashaku made by such a figure is not decoration — it is the documentation of a moment of practice. The name 下萌 (shitamoe) describes the invisible stirring beneath frozen ground: life insisting on itself before it can be seen. In the chado tradition, a named scoop transforms each bowl of tea into a season.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e▪ COLLECTOR'S NOTE\u003cbr\u003eChashaku by Zen temple abbots represent a convergence of calligraphic training, material sensitivity, and ceremonial understanding. 益州's brushwork on both the bamboo tube and the tomobako lid demonstrates the disciplined yet fluid hand of a practitioner, not merely an administrator. The warm golden tone of the bamboo has deepened with age. Held in the hand during the preparation of matcha, this object places the practitioner in direct continuity with Kenninji's centuries of Zen tea culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e▪ 日本語説明\u003cbr\u003e建仁寺 益州による竹茶杓、銘「下萌」。建仁寺は1202年創建、京都五山のひとつ。益州叟の流麗な墨書が竹筒と共箱蓋に残る。黄金色の竹は年月とともに深みを増し、その形姿には禅的な静けさが宿る。銘「下萌」は凍った大地の下で春が動き始める瞬間 — 見えない生命の予感を指す。茶事において名物茶杓を使うことは、その銘の季節を茶席に呼び込むことを意味する。竹筒・共箱完備の完全な状態で残されている。\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e🔹 [ SHIPPING \u0026amp; PACKAGING ]\u003cbr\u003e• Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days\u003cbr\u003e• Carrier: Japan Post EMS \/ UPS (with tracking)\u003cbr\u003e• Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials","brand":"The Modern Zen Archive","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":61649505485170,"sku":"260307_a_2394","price":804.0,"currency_code":"AED","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/5680\/3698\/files\/m64965778709_1.jpg?v=1773129277","url":"https:\/\/checkout.themodernzenarchive.com\/products\/zen-bamboo-tea-scoop-named-shitamoe-by%e7%9b%8a%e5%b7%9e-of-kenninji-temple-kyoto-with-bamboo-case-tomobako","provider":"The Modern Zen Archive","version":"1.0","type":"link"}