Sen no Rikyū's Tea Equipment

Origins
Sen no Rikyū is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha (a style of tea ceremony that emphasizes simplicity). In his young years, he studied Buddhism and underwent Zen training before becoming the tea master for daimyō Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Rikyū wanted to revitalize the Japanese tea ceremony that, in a Japan that was image-conscious and money focused, had come to be held in extravagent ceremony venues in public places to showcase high status and wealth. By his guidelines, tea ceremonies should be held in very small rooms in secluded places surrounded by nature - indeed, he even thought that the doorway should be slightly too small, so that everyone who entered would need to bow their heads and be equal to other attendants.

Similarly, while participants of tea ceremonies often used expensive and intricately designed tea utensils, Rikyū most admired very simplistic wares that showed their age in their weather and imperfections.

For uncertain reasons, Hideyoshi ordered Rikyū to commit seppuku, a ritualistic suicide, late in Rikyū's life. His last act was conducting an extravagent tea ceremony with several guests, to whom he each gave various pieces of the tea set used as souvenirs, excluding a tea bowl that he shattered in shame for his apparent msideed. A single guest remained after the ceremony concluded as a witness to his suicide, which he committed after composing a short death poem addressed to the blade he was to use.

Effects
The individual pieces of this tea set (including several cups, a tea pot, a kakemono (a hanging scroll used in tea ceremonies as decoration), a tea caddy, and more) are capable of "simplifying" their immediate surroundings. Technology will work less than adequately, and should they be kept in a building, surveilance and security systems will become disabled should they be too advanced.

If tea is consumed from the cups or brewed in the pot, this simplification will extend to both the mind and body of the consumer - they will be unable to form complex thoughs, ideas, or vocalizations, and their digestive systems will be unable to process meals that are too flavoured or complex. The more tea ingested, this will continue until their body is essentially unable to perform the "too complex" tasks to keep itself functioning, and all organic systems will cease entirely down to an atomic level.

Appearances

 * Cloak and Swagger