Tsukubai is a Japanese water fountain, which can decorate not only a Japanese garden, but fit well a more common western design. It is good for those who appreciate a natural and laconic elegance of the East and want to add a convenient atmosphere for relax and meditation. The calm ambience creation is promoted by a Japanese water fountain sound. For to get a quite nice purl, the current shouldn’t be too rapid, so don’t install a very powerful pump.
In the Land of the Rising Sun Tsukubai was the integral part of gardens since long ago. The water stream is considered a symbol of the life course and purification. It was used by Buddhist monks for washing hands and faces, especially before a tea ceremony.
Japanese water fountain designs are quite simple. It consists from a stone bowl, pebbles and bamboo sticks. A very nice look has a tiny brook, which flows from one stick in another. The stream must be permanent and clean. Bamboo is often used as pipes and as a decorative element. There is a tradition to use picturesque stones, pebbles, fern and other evergreens as the adorning. The fountain can be surrounded by lanterns and sculptures of frogs or turtles.
If you want to make your garden completely oriental, use only laconic and simple plants, small trees and build a teahouse, as Tsukubai often accompanies it.
The culture of the land is also associated with fantastic creatures, namely dragons. They were the characters of mythology and were used in architecture. A Japanese dragon water fountain has a very exotic look. A statue can be used only as the style element or to play a functional role by pure out the stream from its mouth. What a wonderful idea!
