TEA NEEDLE, SATEN, #1

SATEN is a series of tea ceremony utensils that ROCANIIRU freely produces under the name TENTENSAI.

This work, "TEA NEEDLE, SATEN, #1," is the first work and was carved from a single piece of natural wood.

The branch’s natural bends and knots are preserved, producing a rustic, delicate texture; the ends are wrapped and secured with antique washi paper.

Tea is inherently inseparable from nature. It buds, is nourished by rain, is plucked, and upon meeting hot water releases its fragrance. Human hands merely attend to that process, and through the small gesture of pouring water we come into contact with that natural world.

The tea needle, in the course of its movements, rests unobtrusively and with quiet ease beside the tea caddy.

With continued use the wood's surface matures and its color deepens into a calmer tone. The way it changes over time is itself one of the pleasures of this piece.

Serves as an auxiliary twig when transferring tea leaves from the tea caddy to the teapot, and as a small implement for clearing or adjusting clogs in the teapot spout.