Takayama Furo Hishaku
This handmade hishaku (柄杓 - water ladle) is made by made in Takayama, Nara in the furo (風炉 - brazier) style, with a smaller cup and an angled cut to the handle
It is made of two pieces of hand-carved bamboo, expertly fitted together with a small amount of glue
Bamboo is sensitive to humidity, and will shrink if the atmosphere is too dry. Bamboo also expands when soaked with hot water, so if the cup and handle are loose when dry, they will swell and become tightly fitted when used.
Made in Japan. Ships from the United States
Length: 40 cm (15.7 in)
Diameter: 5.2 cm (2 in)
Due to the nature of handmade ceramics, slight variations may occur in color, texture, size, and design
The hishaku (柄杓) is a bamboo ladle used to measure and transfer water during a temae. Today, temae hishaku come in four different styles:
- ro (炉 - hearth/cold season)
- furo (風炉 - brazier/warm season)
- kennyo (兼用 - dual purpose)
- sashi-toshi (差し通し - pass-through)
Ro hishaku have a larger cup and their handles are cut with an angle on top. Furo hishaku have smaller cups and their thinner handles are cut with the angle on the bottom. Fittingly, kennyo hishaku have a cup that’s roughly in between the furo and ro styles, with a handle that is cut straight.
These three types are all tsuki-gata: made from two pieces of bamboo that are held together simply through friction. Sashi-toshi hishaku, however, are made so that the handle passes through the cup and is fixed in place by a pin, which makes these hishaku much more durable. This is believed to be the original style of hishaku and as such, it is used primarily for more formal temae.
