ash for spreading (tea ceremony)
Specialized term in the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu). Refers to ash used to shape and maintain the charcoal fire in the hearth (ro) or brazier (furo).
In the tea ceremony, ash for spreading is used to adjust the fire in the hearth.
Compound of 蒔き (maki, 'scattering', from 蒔く) and 灰 (hai, 'ash'), with rendaku voicing hai → bai. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the term is firmly associated with tea ceremony ash management.