Sacred Tea House

The tea house is sheltered below a stately chestnut tree near the main house, and yet, a world apart.

Evening light plays through the branches of an overhanging Japanese maple, casting shadows on the shoji (entry doors).

The tea house projects its sacred function as you arrive. Reached along a meandering path that promotes contemplation, the approaching guest is transported to a world apart, mere feet away from the main house.

Light plays across the many surfaces and details throughout the day, delighting the senses.

Inside, a serene space calms the spirit and promotes contemplation.

Everywhere one looks, details absorb your attention.

When fully open, the shoji captures the landscaped front lawn area as its forecourt.

In their 'snow window' lowered position, the shoji cast the viewer's gaze downward to enjoy the patterns on the ground plane.

Fully closed, the shoji grant privacy for intimate moments of the tea ceremony taking place inside.

After a few moments transiting to and spending time in the tea house, it can be a bit of a shock to be reminded that it sits so close to the main house.

The tools used to create the tea house exhibit their own fascinating artistry and craft that harken back millennia.

The handcrafted tools are honed to a sharp edge that produces wood shavings so thin they are translucent and thinner than a human hair.

Each complex interlocking joint throughout the tea house is carefully planned and crafted by hand to produce maximum strength and tolerance for the movement of wood.

The assembly process receives the same attention to detail, here showing the woodworker employing gloves to prevent transferring unwanted oils to the grain.

Above the side window in the tokonomo (床の間 or alcove), the grid work in the kumiko (wooden screen) forms an intricate pattern that delights the senses.

The complex joinery hidden within each wood joint locks the structure together with strength and resilience.