Draft:Senke Jusshoku

Senke Jusshoku（千家十職, Senke Jusshoku) is the honorary title for the ten artisans, such as lacquerware makers and carpenters involved in Japanese_tea_ceremony, who worked for the three iemoto that are descended from Sen no Rikyū (Omotesenke, Urasenke, Mushakōjisenke) know as the san-senke. Because of the limited number of craftspeople who could make the tea utensils favored by the san-senke and their role in events and annual anniversaries, the craftsmen gradually became fixed in their positions. The number of craftsmen fluctuated from generation to generation, but during the Meiji era (1868-1912), they were reorganized into the current ten craftsmen. (There is a theory that the Mitsukoshi Department Store named them in the Taishō era.)

Craftspeople of the Senke School of Tea Ceremony

The tea ceremony is often held in a small space called a Chashitsu (tea room), and the ritual and protocol are strictly defined, requiring very specific and highly refined tools and utensils. Sen no Rikyū selected tea utensils with his unique tastes, such as bowls by Chōjirō and kettles by Tsuji Yojiro, a Kyoto kettle master. Sen no Sōtan, who wanted to preserve Rikyu's tea ceremony style, also instructed his craftsmen and valued those who could produce works to Rikyu's taste. In addition to tea bowls by the Raku family and tea caddies and incense containers by Tobirai Ikkan, Sodan also favored kettles by Nishimura Kyubei, whose name does not appear in the Senke Jusshoku.

The seventh head of the Omotesenke iemoto, Jyoshinsai, and the eighth head of the Urasenke, iemoto, Yugensai Ittousoushitsu, devised the seven tea ceremony procedures of the Senke school during the Genroku period at the end of the 17th century, and the form of the tea ceremony that has continued to the present day. In this context, Kichizaemon Raku, Sotetsu Nakamura (a lacquerware master), Yuko Tsuchida (a bag master), Genjiku (bamboo craftsperson), and Futade (a bag maker) were invited to the tea ceremony held by Jyoshinsai on September 4, 1739, the 150th anniversary of Rikyu's death. Kichizaemon and Sotetsu, in particular, are said to have been the elders of the artisans of the time.

At the final tea ceremony held in 1758 on the 100th anniversary of Sodan, ten craftsmen were invited: Kichizaemon Raku, Zengoro Nakamura, Yuko Tsuchida, Genzei the bamboo craftsperson, Seiemon Oonishi, Risai Komazawa, Shougen Kuroda, Jyoeki Nakagawa, Zenbei the woodworking master, and Kichibee Okumura (Compared to the present day, the bamboo master Genzei and the carpenter Zenbei are present instead of Ikkan Hirai and Zengoro). This is one of the earliest records of ten craftsmen going in and out of the Senke, but the number fluctuated from eight to twelve throughout the Edo period. In addition, it is said that there were more than 20 other artisans that provided work to the Senke.

At the same time, the number of incoming and outgoing craftsmen gradually became fixed to produce tea utensils based on traditional forms and to play a role in the three Senke annual events and anniversaries. By the time of the 250th anniversary of Rikyu in 1840, Risai Komazawa, Seiemon Oonishi, Zengoro Nishimura, Kichizaimon Raku, Kichibee Okumura, Ikkan Hirai, Shougen Kuroda, Yuko Tsuchida, Jyoeki Nakagawa, and the lacquer painter Yo Sanemon had been appointed to the Senke staff, a lineup similar to that of today. The only one whose name is missing is Sotetsu Nakamura, presumably because he was in mourning for the death of the sixth head. Through this process, the artisans were organized into the current ten Senke artisans.

List of the Ten Senke Schools

• Tea bowl master - Kichizaimon Raku
• Kettle master - Seiemon Oonishi
• Lacquerware master - Sotetsu Nakamura
• Woodworking master - Risai Komazawa
• Metal master - Jyoeki Nakagawa
• Bag master - Yuko Tsuchida
• Mounting craftsperson - Kichibee Okumura
• Ikkanbari craftsperson - Ikkan Hirai
• Bamboo craftsperson and ladle maker - Shougen Kuroda Tea ladle maker
• Clay Furnace and Pottery Master - Zengoro Nishimura

References

Koichi Tsutsui, "The Formation of the Ten Professions of the Senke School," Taiyo, Vol. 35

Miyabi Shuppansha editorial department, "Senke Jushoku Genealogy," Chayu Techo (Tea Ceremony Handbook), Miyabi Shuppansha