The term "futaoki" (lid rest) can be seen in both Japanese Chanoyu and Chinese tea settings as a similar designation. However, sharing the same name does not necessarily mean that the usage or the prescribed etiquette is identical.
Lid rests recorded in Sencha-do
In the Agency for Cultural Affairs' survey on Sencha-do, the lid rest is listed as one of the Sencha tea utensils. However, the nomenclature and handling of the utensils vary depending on the school.
Lid rests in Chanoyu
On the other hand, in the Urasenke school's introduction to tea utensils, a lid rest is introduced as a tool for placing the lid of the kettle or the ladle. This is an explanation based on Urasenke Chanoyu and should not be treated as part of the same system as Sencha-do.
Lid rests (huga-jia) in Chinese tea settings
In some Chinese tea settings and modern brewing methods, there are instances where a lid rest is used to keep the table clean when the teapot lid is removed. This is not uniformly required across all Chinese tea schools or regions, nor does it imply that the method or purpose is exactly the same as the lid rest used in Japanese Sencha-do.
About SEKIMONO lid rests
SEKIMONO's current "One Thought," "Auspicious Lion," and "Buddha Hand" are presented as copper lid rests for temporarily placing the lids of teapots or tea vessels. While each piece is listed with external dimensions of approximately φ53 × H20 mm, this figure alone cannot determine compatibility with specific lids. For more details, please check the product pages for One Thought | Copper Teapot Lid Rest, Auspicious Lion | Copper Teapot Lid Rest, and Buddha Hand | Lid Rest.
Related articles
The role of lid rests (huga-jia) in Chinese tea can be found in What is a Chinese tea lid rest (huga-jia)?, and when comparing current product information, you can refer to How to choose a Chinese tea lid rest (huga-jia).
