Tea house

Japanese: 茶室 - ちゃしつ

A facility exclusively used for tea ceremonies. During the Muromachi period, it was called kakoi (enclosure), zashiki (room), or chanoyu zashiki (tea ceremony room). Later, it was also called sukiya (a Japanese-style house). It was only in modern times that the terms chashitsu (tea room) and tea room architecture became widespread. Note that, unlike tea rooms exclusively used for the tea ceremony, chaya (tea houses) are used for a wide range of purposes, including banquets and entertainment.

A teahouse is a facility for holding tea ceremonies, and it consists of a teahouse building and a garden called a roji. The teahouse and the roji were formed and developed together, which is why the roji is sometimes included in the teahouse architecture.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

Historical changes

It can be said that the tea room, a facility dedicated to the tea ceremony, began with the establishment of the soan-style tea room. Murata Juko (1423-1502) is said to have established the new soan-style tea ceremony, but tea was already being held in the residence of the Ashikaga Shogun. There, a "chanoyu no ma" (room for tea ceremony) equipped with a tea shelf was set up, and the Doboshu (commoners) prepared the tea and carried it to the guest room, which was decorated with tatami mat decorations. The tea shelf was decorated with all kinds of utensils from China, and the tea ceremony was held in strict accordance with formality and rites.

In contrast, the tea ceremony at Juko's thatched hut was held in a salon style, with the host and guest gathering in a small room of about six or four-and-a-half tatami mats, with the host's seat where the tea was made and the guest seat all in one room. Although it was small, it was a "zashiki" room, covered with tatami mats and equipped with a one-ken toko (a floor space with a floor mat). At the time, town houses (machiya) did not yet have tatami mats laid out on the floor, but the tea room alone had introduced the toko-shiki style, which allowed for the use of toko-kazari (decorative flooring).

The tea ceremony is a pastime in which one entertains guests and enjoys the "ichizakonryu" (a gathering of one person). However, it is assumed that the host is the owner of a hut living in a modest mountain residence. In other words, guests are not entertained with secular entertainment, but rather with the "laws of the transcendental world." The tea room that Soju, the successor of Juko, had set up in his home in Shimogyo, Kyoto, expressed the "style of a dwelling in the mountains" and was described as a "hidden space in the city." The ideal for the tea room was the appearance of a hut "in the mountains."

The first tea room to be created as a space for the tea ceremony was the four-and-a-half-tatami room of Takeno Jōō (1502-1555), and many tea masters followed his example. However, this four-and-a-half-tatami room was considered a tea room for those who possessed famous objects, and those who preferred the wabi style of tea built tea rooms without floors or even smaller rooms. From Jōō to Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), tea rooms were designed to have a more traditional style. Eventually, Rikyu broke with the four-and-a-half-tatami room tradition that was dominated by the authority of famous objects (Chinese objects) and completed a two-tatami room exclusively for the wabi tea ceremony. It was a completely grass hut style with log pillars and earthen walls, as seen in Tai-an (a national treasure). The delicate and small space, made of simple materials, exudes a deep spirituality along with a tense composition, fulfilling the spirit of wabi-cha tea.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi also favored small two-tatami rooms, and built them at Osaka Castle and Jurakudai. He also constructed a prefabricated golden tea room (three tatami mats) to show off the refined tastes of the rulers of Japan. Rikyu also created a four-and-a-half-tatami tea room that could only be used for wabi-cha tea, and attempted to miniaturize small rooms, going from two tatami mats to one tatami mat. He maintained that the depth of the tea ceremony lies in the grass hut, and that two tatami mats was the ideal size for grass hut tea. Thus Rikyu achieved the wabi-ization of the tea room, and grass hut small rooms became popular in the tea ceremony world.

After Rikyu, tea masters from the samurai classes played a leading role in the world of tea ceremony. They considered Rikyu's tea to be too simple, and in an attempt to soften it, they showed new ideas in the grass-hut-style tea room. The Ennan-style tea room favored by Furuta Oribe (1544-1615) was given a banquet seat and featured innovative designs such as shikishi and hanaakari windows, which well reflected the trends of the new era. Oribe also promoted the style of tea ceremonies in which a chain room was set up between the tea room and the shoin study, and these were connected together. This linked the tea ceremony to the shoin-style room decoration. This trend was further developed by Kobori Enshu (1579-1647), who produced the magnificent chain room. Enshu also attempted to turn tea rooms into shoin-style rooms, leaving behind masterpieces of shoin-style tea rooms such as Mittan and Bosen. Although thatched tea rooms were also built in aristocratic society, the country-style teahouse style was more popular. The relaxed layout and free and cheerful design of these tea rooms refined the tea ceremony spaces of the aristocracy. The style of Kanamori Sowa (1584-1656) was welcomed by such aristocratic society. Katagiri Sekishu (1605-1673), who inherited the same social status as Enshu, did not move towards shoin-style tea rooms, but instead pursued refinement of the wabi style of design based on thatched huts, and was supported by tea masters of the nobility and shogunate. His style is clearly seen in the two-tatami-daime tea room at Jikoin.

As tea ceremony became popular among the samurai class, Sen no Sotan (1578-1658) furthered Rikyu's wabi-cha style and built a one-and-a-half-tatami-mat room without a floor as a representative tea room of the Sen family, Fushin-an. After retirement, he built a two-tatami-mat room (Konnichian) and then Rikyu's four-and-a-half-tatami-mat room (Yuin). The three Sen families established by Sotan and his three sons have continued Rikyu's style of tea to the present day. In the mid-Edo period, in response to the spread of tea ceremony, large tea rooms were designed, and the style evolved to meet the trends of the times.

As tea ceremony became divided into schools, the free and original ideas of the tea room were lost, and the style began to become fixed. At this time, Matsudaira Fumai (Harusato, 1751-1818) realized that "all schools are my school," and attempted to revive it by making full use of the free and original ideas while respecting the classics. His villa Osakien (Shinagawa, Edo), built in his later years, was an excellent result of this, but it was destroyed by the shogunate's construction of artillery batteries. Modern connoisseurs competed with each other, taking Fumai's tea as their model. Masuda Don'o's (Takashi, 1848-1938) Hekiundai and Soundai have disappeared, but there are many remains that remind us of the elegance of modern connoisseurs, such as Hakuundo in Gora Park, Hakone-machi, Kanagawa Prefecture. After the Second World War, new styles of tea houses were created by architects who aimed to modernize the sukiya style, while traditional tea houses continued to be built. Chair-style (Ryurei) tea houses are also gradually becoming more popular.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

Shoin and hermitage

Shoin refers to the formal world of tea ceremony based on tea on a daisu (table). The style of the room is a large hall, and the design is based on the Shoin-style. Rikyu positioned this Shoin-daisu tea ceremony as a "form of grandeur and structure," and simplified it to open up the world of "wabi-cha," or the grass hut. A grass hut room refers to a small room, a light-hearted log-built room that is a grass style version of Shoin-style tea.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

Hall and small room

The layout of tea rooms varies widely, but the standard is a square four-and-a-half-tatami room. Rooms larger than four-and-a-half-tatami are called "hiroma" (rooms with a large floor space), and rooms smaller than four-and-a-half-tatami are called "koma" (rooms with a large floor space). A four-and-a-half-tatami room can fall into either category depending on how it is built.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

Structure of a soan-style teahouse

Entrance/Exit

(1) Nijiriguchi The final gate one reaches after passing through the middle gate from the Rojiguchi. The guest bends down on a stepping stone, places his hands on the threshold, bows, and then nijiri-guchi into the tea room through an entrance that is about 70 centimeters high and 67 centimeters wide. A small room of less than four and a half tatami mats appears large when viewed through the nijiriguchi. A wooden door is placed at the nijiriguchi. The wooden door is made of a rough design that resembles a shredded rain shutter, and it also contains a feeling of wabi. When the last guest closes the door, the light and darkness in the room are controlled only by the window. The wooden door of the nijiriguchi is opened and closed by a special mechanism called a hasami-shikii and hasami-kamoi. (2) Kinin-guchi A normal entrance to the nijiriguchi with a low-rise screen is called a ki-nin-guchi. However, its height is considerably lower than that of a normal entrance. The name probably originated from the fact that this style was opened separately from the nijiriguchi for use by nobles, but this style is called kiminamiguchi regardless of whether it has a nijiriguchi or not. (3) Sadō-guchi (tea ceremony entrance): The entrance through which the host enters and exits for the tea ceremony. Most are of the hōdate-guchi (square-shaped entrance) style with a frame, but sometimes they are made into a kato-guchi (flower-shaped entrance) with an arch plastered around the wall. They can also be two sliding doors. The standard height is about 5 shaku 1 sun (about 155 cm). (4) Kūji-guchi (serving entrance): The entrance through which the host exits directly to serve the guests. Depending on the layout of the room, a Kūji-guchi may be absolutely necessary. The kōji-guchi style is used, and it is lower than the sado-guchi, with a standard height of about 4 shaku 2 sun (about 127 cm).

[Masaaki Nakamura]

floor

In Shoin-zukuri style rooms, the upper level was called the "toko." Press boards and shelves were placed there to decorate the room. Such a place was also necessary in the tea room to welcome guests. In tea rooms, only the "toko" was provided for this purpose. It served as both a seat for the nobles and a place for decoration, but it became a place primarily for decoration. Originally, it was intended to display only famous items (Chinese products), but once Rikyu's wabi-cha style was established, the walls inside the toko were replaced with earthen walls, and the theme of the toko decoration became to convey the warm feelings of the host who was entertaining the guests. So when the guest took his seat, he first looked at the toko. Through the toko decoration, the host and guest could come together in spirit, and the interest of the tea ceremony was heightened.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

window

The windows used in thatch-style teahouses are Shitajimado, Renji and Tsukiage windows.

Shimoji-mado windows are windows made by leaving some parts of the wall unpainted, exposing the wall base. Common reed is usually used for the vertical and horizontal base. Bamboo is propped up against the exterior wall to reinforce the wall, which is weakened by leaving some parts unpainted. This is called chikara bamboo. Shimoji-mado windows, whose position, size and shape can be freely determined, have the exquisite function of creating a subtle distribution of light and shade in the teahouse.

Normally, renjimado windows have bamboo renji hammered into them at appropriate intervals and are fitted with abuchinuki (horizontal bars). Sometimes a thrust-type skylight is installed in the decorative attic (hanging ceiling). At morning tea, the thrust-type skylight adds elegance to the tea ceremony by letting in the whitish morning light.

Furthermore, a window that opens into the front of the furosaki hearth is called a furosaki window, a window that opens into a wall at the side of the tokonoma is called a bokuseki window, and two windows with their central axes offset vertically, such as at the kattetsuki of the tea ceremony seat, are called shikishi windows.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

ceiling

The ceiling of a tea room may be flat (hira ceiling), but may also be raised or lowered, or may be combined with a decorative attic. A ceiling that is one level lower is called an ochitai (dropped ceiling), and is often used for the tea ceremony seat. It creates an impression of humility for the host in comparison to the guests. In terms of materials, flat ceilings are paneled with rice, while dropped ceilings are made of materials such as mandarin rice and cattails. A style without a ceiling is called a full attic, and is a thorough expression of "wabi".

[Masaaki Nakamura]

Furnace

A ro is always installed in a tea room. Since the Edo period, the size of the ro has been fixed at one shaku 4 sun (about 42 centimeters) square. There are four ways to install the ro: inside the tea room (mukogiri) and in the corner (sumiro), outside (yojohangiri) and outside (daimegiri), and each of these can be done in either hon-katte or gyaku-katte style, but there are not many examples of the latter.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

Center pillar

In the case of daime-giri, a central pillar is usually erected at the corner of the hearth, a sleeve wall is attached, the lower part is opened up, and a double shelf is hung in the corner of the sleeve wall of the tea ceremony seat. This is called daime-gamae. It was invented by Rikyu and is a tea arrangement unique to the soan that does not use a shelf. The varied, three-dimensional assembly centered on the central pillar exudes the structural beauty unique to the soan. This arrangement was also favored by samurai tea masters, and was even used in shoin tea rooms.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

Mizuya

The place where preparations for tea ceremony are made is called the mizuya or kata. A mizuya shelf is always set up here, with a shelf above a wooden sink, on which the necessary utensils are displayed. In addition, a round hearth or a long hearth may also be installed in one corner. This is because preparations for kaiseki tea ceremony must also be made in the mizuya.

[Masaaki Nakamura]

"Encyclopedia of Tea Rooms and Tea Gardens" by Mirei Shigemori (1973, Seibundo Shinkosha) " "Colored Encyclopedia of Tea Ceremony" edited by Kaisen Iguchi et al. (1975, Tankosha) " "Zashiki and Roji (1)(2)" edited by Masao Nakamura (Tea Ceremony Shukin Seven and Eight, 1984, 1986, Shogakukan)"

[References] | Roji [Supplementary information] | List of tea houses

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

茶事専用の施設。室町時代には囲(かこい)、座敷、茶の湯座敷などとよばれた。その後、数寄屋(すきや)とも称された。茶室あるいは茶室建築の呼称が普及するようになったのは近代のことである。なお、茶の湯専用の茶室に対し、茶屋は宴遊など広い用途を含むものである。

　茶室とは茶事を行うための施設で、それは茶室という建築と露地(ろじ)とよばれる庭から成り立っている。茶室と露地とは一体となって形成され発展してきた。露地を含めて茶室建築とよばれることもあるゆえんである。

［中村昌生］

史的変遷

茶事専用の施設である茶室は、草庵(そうあん)風茶室の成立に始まるといってよい。村田珠光(じゅこう)（1423―1502）は新しい草庵の茶を確立したと伝えられるが、すでに足利(あしかが)将軍邸では殿中の茶が行われていた。そこでは、茶の湯棚を据えた「茶の湯の間」が設けられ、同朋衆(どうぼうしゅう)が茶を点(た)てて、座敷飾りをした客座敷に運ぶ形式であった。茶の湯棚には唐物(からもの)ずくめの諸道具が飾られ、格式と法式の厳重な構えの茶であった。

　これに対し珠光たちの草庵の茶は、六畳、四畳半ほどの小室に、客と亭主が集うというサロンの形式で、茶を点てる亭主の座と客座とが一室に収められていた。それは狭いながらも畳が敷き詰められ、一間床(いっけんとこ)を備えた「座敷」であった。当時の町家(まちや)はまだ畳を敷き詰めていなかったが、茶室だけは床飾りのできる床敷の形式を導入していたのであった。

　茶の湯は、客をもてなし「一座建立(いちざこんりゅう)」を楽しむ遊びである。ただし亭主は山中にわび住まいする草庵のあるじであることを前提としている。すなわち、世俗の饗応(きょうおう)でなく、すべて「出世間(しゅっせけん)の法」によって客を迎えもてなすのである。珠光の嗣(し)の宗珠(そうじゅ)が、京都・下京の家に設けていた茶室は「山居之体(さんきょのてい)」を表し、「市中の隠」と評されていた。茶室もまた「山居」の草庵のたたずまいを理想としたのである。

　茶室に本格的な茶の湯の空間をまず確立したのは、武野紹鴎(たけのじょうおう)（1502―1555）の四畳半で、多くの茶人がそれを範とした。しかしその四畳半は名物(めいぶつ)持ちの茶室とされ、わび数寄を好む者は、床なしの茶室か、さらに狭い座敷をつくった。そして紹鴎から千利休(せんのりきゅう)（1522―1591）の時代へかけて茶室の草体(そうたい)化がくふうされていった。やがて利休は、名物（唐物）の権威に支配された四畳半の伝統を打破して、もっぱらわび茶のための茶室として二畳敷を完成した。それは待庵(たいあん)（国宝）にみるごとく丸太柱に土壁の完全な草庵の造りであった。簡素な素材による繊細で狭小な空間の中に、緊張感のみなぎる構成とともに深い精神性を漂わせ、わび茶の心意気を満たした。

　豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉も二畳の小座敷を好み、大坂城や聚楽第(じゅらくだい)などに建てた。一方彼は黄金の茶室（三畳敷）を組立式でつくり、天下人の数寄を誇示した。また利休は、わび茶にしか使えない四畳半茶室をつくりあげたし、二畳から一畳台目(だいめ)へと小座敷の極小化をも試みた。そして茶の湯の深みは草庵にあり、二畳こそ草庵の茶の理想であると主張した。こうして利休による茶室のわび化が達成され、茶道界に草庵の小座敷が普及した。

　利休後の茶道界は武家の茶匠が指導的役割を演じた。彼らは利休の茶をわびすぎたとして、それを緩めるべく、草庵風茶室にも新しいくふうを示した。古田織部(ふるたおりべ)（1544―1615）の好んだ燕庵(えんなん)形式の茶室は、相伴(しょうばん)席を付加し、色紙(しきし)窓や花明(はなあかり)窓などによる斬新(ざんしん)な意匠がくふうされ、そうした新時代の動向をよく反映していた。織部はまた、茶室と書院との間に鎖(くさり)の間を設け、それらを連ねて催す茶会の形式を推進した。これによって茶の湯と書院風な座敷飾りが結ばれた。この傾向は小堀遠州(こぼりえんしゅう)（1579―1647）によってさらに発展をみせ、りっぱな鎖の間が出現した。そして遠州は茶室の書院化を試み、密庵(みったん)や忘筌(ぼうせん)のごとき書院風茶室の名品を残した。貴族社会でも草庵の茶室はつくられたが、むしろ田舎(いなか)家風な茶屋の形式が喜ばれた。そこではくつろいだ構成や、自由で陽気な意匠感覚が、貴族の茶の湯空間を洗練させた。金森宗和(かなもりそうわ)（1584―1656）の作風はそうした貴族社会に歓迎された。遠州と同様の社会的立場を継承した片桐石州(かたぎりせきしゅう)（1605―1673）は、書院風な茶室に向かわず、あくまで草庵を基調にわびの造形の洗練を図り、公武の茶の支持を受けた。慈光院(じこういん)二畳台目茶室に彼の作風が躍如としている。

　武家の茶の流行するなかで、千宗旦(せんのそうたん)（1578―1658）は利休のわび茶の側面を深化し、千家の代表的な茶室として床なしの一畳半を建てて不審庵(ふしんあん)とした。隠居後は二畳敷（今日庵(こんにちあん)）を、ついで利休四畳半（又隠(ゆういん)）を造立した。宗旦と3人の子によって確立された三千家(さんせんけ)は、利休流の茶を継承して現在に至っている。江戸中期には茶道の普及に対応して広間の茶室がくふうされるなど、時流に応じる作風の進展をみせた。

　茶道の流派化に伴い、茶室にも自由な創意が失われ、作風が定型化に向かい始めた。このようなとき松平不昧(まつだいらふまい)（治郷(はるさと)、1751―1818）は、「諸流皆わが流」と達観し、古典を尊重しつつ、自由な作意を駆使してその再生を試みた。晩年の別邸大崎園(おおさきえん)（江戸・品川）はその優れた成果であったが、幕府の砲台築造のために破壊された。近代の数寄者たちは、こうした不昧の茶を範としながら、数寄を競ったのである。益田鈍翁(ますだどんおう)（孝(たかし)、1848―1938）の碧雲台や掃雲台は姿を消したが、神奈川県箱根町強羅(ごうら)公園内の白雲洞など近代の数寄者の風流をしのばせる遺構は少なくない。第二次世界大戦後は、伝統を継承する茶室とともに、数寄屋の近代化を目ざした建築家による新しい作風が台頭してきた。また椅子(いす)式（立礼(りゅうれい)）の茶室も徐々に広まりつつある。

［中村昌生］

書院と草庵

書院は「台子(だいす)」の茶を基本とする格式的な茶の世界をいう。座敷の形式としては広間であり、書院造風の意匠を基調とする。利休はこうした「書院台子」の茶を「栄華結構の式」と位置づけ、それを簡素化して「わび茶」すなわち「草庵」の世界を開いた。草庵の座敷といえば、小間(こま)をさし、書院造を草体化した丸太造りの軽快な普請をいう。

［中村昌生］

広間と小間

茶室の間取りはきわめて多様であるが、方形の四畳半を基準としている。そして四畳半以上の広さを広間、四畳半以下を小間と称する。四畳半はその造り方によっていずれにも属しうる広さである。

［中村昌生］

草庵風茶室の構成

出入口

(1)躙口(にじりぐち)　露地口から中門を経て最後に到達する関門が躙口である。客は踏石の上にかがみ、敷居に手をつかえ一礼して高さ二尺三寸（約70センチメートル）、幅二尺二寸（約67センチメートル）ほどの口から茶室へ躙り入るのである。四畳半以下の狭い座敷も、躙口を隔てると大きな空間に見える。躙口には板戸がたてられる。その板戸は雨戸を切り縮めたような麁相(そそう)な造りで、そこにもわびの気持ちが込められている。最後の客がこの戸を閉めると、室内の明暗は窓だけによって支配される。躙口の板戸は、挟み敷居、挟み鴨居(かもい)という特殊な機構で開閉するようになっている。(2)貴人口(きにんぐち)　躙口に対して腰障子をたてた通常の上り口を貴人口とよんでいる。しかし高さは一般の出入口よりかなり低い。躙口とは別にこの形式を貴人用として開けたことから始まった呼称であろうが、躙口の有無に関係なくこの形式を貴人口と称する。(3)茶道口(さどうぐち)　点前(てまえ)のために亭主の出入りする口。枠をつけた方立(ほうだて)口の形式が多く、ときには壁をアーチ状に塗り回した火灯口(かとうぐち)（花頭口）にする場合もある。また二本襖(ふすま)の口にすることもある。高さは五尺一寸（約155センチメートル）ぐらいを標準とする。(4)給仕口(きゅうじぐち)　亭主が客座へ直接給仕に出る口をいう。間取りによっては給仕口がどうしても必要なことがある。火灯口の形式が用いられ、茶道口より低く四尺二寸（約127センチメートル）前後の高さを標準とする。

［中村昌生］

床

書院造の座敷では上段の間を「床」とよんだ。そこに押板や棚などがつくられて座敷飾りが行われた。客を迎える茶室にもそのような場所が必要であった。茶室ではそのために「床」だけが設けられた。貴人の座と飾りの場とを兼ねたわけだが、もっぱら飾りの場となった。もとは名物（唐物）だけを飾るところとされていたが、利休のわび茶が確立されるや、床のなかも土壁にかわり、客をもてなす亭主の温かい心入れを託することが床飾りの主題となった。それで客は席入りしてまず床を拝見する。床の飾りを通じて、亭主と客の心が触れ合い、茶事の興趣が高まるのである。

［中村昌生］

窓

草庵風茶室に使われる窓は、下地窓(したじまど)、連子(れんじ)窓そして突上(つきあげ)窓である。

　下地窓は壁を塗り残すことによってできる窓で、壁下地が露出している。縦・横の下地にはヨシ（葭）を使用するのが普通である。壁を一部塗り残すために弱まる壁体の補強の意味で、外壁にタケを添え立てる。これが力(ちから)竹である。位置、大きさ、形を自由に決定できる下地窓は、茶室の微妙な明暗の分布をつくりだすのに絶妙の機能を持ち合わせている。

　連子窓には普通、竹連子が適当な間隔に打たれ、あふち貫(ぬき)（横桟）が添えられる。化粧屋根裏（掛込(かけこみ)天井）に突上げ式の天窓を開けることがある。朝茶のとき、白みかかる朝の光を導入するなど突上窓の扱いが茶事に風趣を添える。

　なお、風炉先(ふろさき)に開ける窓を風炉先窓、床の脇(わき)壁に開ける窓を墨蹟(ぼくせき)窓、点前座の勝手付(かってつき)などに、上下に中心軸をずらして配置する二つの窓が色紙(しきし)窓とよばれる。

［中村昌生］

天井

茶室の天井は一面に平たい天井（平(ひら)天井）の張られることもあるが、高低がつけられたり、化粧屋根裏が組み合わされることもある。一段低い天井を落(おち)天井と称し、多くは点前座に用いる。客座に対し亭主の座を謙虚に演出する。材料も平天井をイネ板張りとすれば、落天井にはマコモやガマなどが用いられる。天井を張らない形式が総屋根裏で、「わび」に徹した表現である。

［中村昌生］

炉

茶室にはかならず炉が切られる。江戸時代以降、炉の大きさは一尺四寸（約42センチメートル）四方に定まっている。炉を切る場所として、点前座の中に切る向切(むこうぎり)と隅炉(すみろ)、外に切る四畳半切と台目切の四通りの方法があり、それぞれ本勝手(ほんがって)と逆勝手があるが、後者の実例は多くない。

［中村昌生］

中柱

台目切の場合は、たいてい炉の角に中柱を立て、袖(そで)壁をつけ、その下部を吹き抜き、点前座の袖壁の隅に二重棚をつる。これを台目構えとよんでいる。利休の創始したもので、棚物を使わない草庵独自の茶の構えである。そして中柱を中心とする変化に富む立体的な組立ては、草庵特有の構成美を放つ。なおこの構えは武家茶人も愛好し、書院茶室にまで活用された。

［中村昌生］