Chabana or other tea arrangements

[blairswhitaker]

Couldn't resist....



Made from some leftover paper from a Hibiki-an order.

[blairswhitaker]

@ MissTeaDelight, thank you for sharing the main goal of this tread is as always to encourage people especially here in the west to practice the centuries old pairing of flora and tea... lets see some more!

[teaisme]

Something about flowers taken away from their home...

A week ago was the first time I actually picked a few flowers and put it into a vase on my tea table. Spring was all around me and I was yearning to put something new bright and colorful on my table. I may sound crazy for saying this, but it felt wrong. It brought a negative energy into the space, esp after a couple of days. Usually I resort with whatever I can find on the floor. Some neat rocks, interesting branches, fallen leaves and flowers etc. I will stick to that and flowers that actually have soil in a pot from now on.

No more dying flowers in water for me.

[hopeofdawn]

I don't know .... On the one hand, I can understand where you're coming from--a bunch of half-dead flowers smashed into a vase is more a sign of decay and neglect than anything. On the other hand, flowers by their nature are a transitory beauty--they bloom, they wither, and they fall away. Occasionally they leave behind seeds or flowers. That's just the way of things. So I don't think it's necessarily a negative thing to appreciate the impermanence of their beauty along with your tea ...

[blairswhitaker]

@teaisme, you are certainly entitled to the way you feel. I wouldn't encourage you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable.

I personally will always try to include some flowers into my tea sessions, again this is a tradition nearly as old as tea it's self, practiced by many who's goal has been aimed at attaining spiritual peace.

@ hopeofdawn, please show more of your lovely floral ideas It is always great to see your pics!

"It was mid-winter, and the water's surface was covered with the withered leaves of the of the lotuses. Suddenly I realized that the flowers had not simply dried up, but that they embodied, in their decomposition, the fullness of life that would emerge again in their natural beauty.”
― Kakuzō Okakura, The Book Of Tea

“In joy or sadness flowers are our constant friends.”
― Kakuzō Okakura, The Book Of Tea

[Chip]

... of course tea leaves/stem are clipped, withered and dried, etc. Yet they always make it to the tea table!

But rocks are cool too! Perhaps we could do a "rock topic" ... we have collected tooo many cool rocks over the years.

When friends helped us move years ago from an apartment to our home, they asked, "what do you have in here (heavy boxes), rocks???!!!???" Never told them yes or no, for fear the "movers" may rebel against the "movees" or a box would somehow rip open. Just gave them more beer!!!

[blairswhitaker]

... of course tea leaves/stem are clipped, withered and dried, etc. Yet they always make it to the tea table!

+ 1 lets all drink some dried withered leaf clippings pulled from their home in a far away land and enjoy them!

[teaisme]

+ 1 lets all drink some dried withered leaf clippings pulled from their home in a far away land and enjoy them!

here here to that! The tea leaves were definitely plucked to be your nourishment. As I hope the flowers were plucked to help nourish your mind and soul.

[Pekoechen]

@ MissTeaDelight, thank you for sharing the main goal of this tread is as always to encourage people especially here in the west to practice the centuries old pairing of flora and tea... lets see some more!

I have been gradually introducing plants into my tea setting as they help add a lot, one more dimension to tea appreciation. Chabana is a term that I only learnt when I came across this thread. Also notice it is more simplistic and easier to achieve than with complex ikebana floral arrangement. Can anyone tell me a couple of principles or techniques when it comes to chabana? For me, it really is just freestyle, but I'm really not sure.

[vacuithe]

I'm not a floral tea arrangement addict, but sometimes...

[teaisme]

vacuithe that looks seriously lovely nice pics

[AdamMY]

Orichids and Sencha by Adam Yusko, on Flickr

I thought an orchid I picked up to liven up my place would liven up my Sencha this Morning.

[blairswhitaker]

awesome I have never dared take on an orchid, can we see more pics of your tetsubin?

[AdamMY]

awesome I have never dared take on an orchid, can we see more pics of your tetsubin?

It looks like a Tetsubin in that picture but actually its a Lins Ceramic Kettle. Looking through my photos I have apparently never taken a photo of that kettle by itself, its poked a spout into a few other photos but never a whole lot of the actual photo.

[blairswhitaker]

new vase to "show off" made by Eugene Brosseau.

he has this to say about it, "Hewn from solid block of clay, hewn / Gesture marks with found steel from walks in forest, fired in small anagama in front near firebox 56 hours. (bottom wadded)"

anyone know what type of flowers these are?