A , or water bowl, is a vessel used to rinse the hands in Japanese temples, shrines and gardens. Usually made of stone, it plays an important role in the tea ceremony. Guests use it to wash their hands before entering the tearoom, a practice originally adapted from the custom of rinsing oneâÂÂs mouth and cleansing oneâÂÂs body in the chà Âzuya before entering the sacred precincts of a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple.
Prior to modern plumbing, Japanese homes contained a chà Âzu-bachi with a dipper, and provisions for drainage of wastewater, placed so that it could be used from the engawa (veranda or corridor). A towel was often hung nearby. One would be placed near the entrance of a latrine, though there might also be chà Âzu-bachi elsewhere.
There are many types of chà Âzu-bachi; for instance, a low chà Âzu-bachi, with attendant stones, is called a tsukubai and is often found in tea-gardens. Chà Âzu-bachi are usually stone, but may be made of other materials, such as ceramic or bronze.