Tea in times of war

This is called the tabidans that is used as a portable utensil box.  Tabi means trip, and tansu (dansu) means drawers or a cabinet.  You can use it not only in the tea room, but also for nodate, outdoor tea ceremonies.

It has a lock on the hatch.

There are a few different ways of using this box.  This week, I practiced one of them, called “shibadate”.   The mid shelf is removable, and you can place it on the floor or ground using it as a tray for the tea container and tea whisk.

It is said that Rikyu invented this box when he accompanied Hideyoshi Toyotomi for the siege of Odawara (16^th century).  I guess that Hideyoshi wanted a brief escape or momentary peace at the field of battle.  If so, tea must be a very powerful tool for relaxation.

The utensils are not attached to the box.  I wonder how to carry it around when traveling, haha(^^;;