100-year Old Tetsubin by Nizaemon (小泉仁左衛門）
Look at this beautiful iron kettle. This tetsubin is more than 100 years old. It was made in Iwateken (岩手県), a barren place except for water and iron ore. People there are blessed with the skills to make iron kettles. Iron kettles are used to boil water. Japanese enjoy drinking teas, and they give great importance to the type of wares used in drinking tea. When water is boiled using an an iron kettle, the water’s flavour becomes sweeter and more pronounced. This effect cannot be replicated or produced by other means. A tetsubin is not the same as any other water boiling wares. Firstly, these Japanese iron kettles are pieces of art. The patterns and shapes of the kettles...