Tetsubin are cast iron water kettles which were popular in Japan as everyday household utensils and for informal and semi-formal tea drinking. During the 19th century, tetsubin made especially as tea utensils came to be highly esteemed. Fine ornamental tetsubin were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony, which was less formal and proscribed than the “chanoyu” tea ceremony.

During the 18th century, a craze had developed in Japan for bunjin, the art and culture of the Chinese literati scholar/painter. One of their daily customs was the drinking of sencha. This custom was adopted by the growing class of Japanese Confucian scholars. The artistic situation in Kyoto around 1800 was influenced by the activities of these Japanese literati, and the sencha cult became one of their favorite pastimes. The interest in sencha soon spread from the bunjin-enthusiasts to the common people in Kyoto, especially to the rich merchants. By using the lost-wax method, metal casters were able to make relief decorated tea utensils in the style of the bunjin, which specifically suited the tastes of the sencha enthusiasts at that time. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today. Tea enthusiasts would also value the simplicity, unaffectedness and imperfection that exemplifies the wabi/sabi aesthetic found in this kettle.

CONDITION excellent; there is normal interior rusting consistent with age and usage.

Giboshi is an architectural element used on older Japanese bridges. The ends are bulbous and come to a point, resembling the onion domes in Western culture and architecture. They are often found in older Japanese bridges and on bridges in Japanese gardens, temples and shinto shrines. This giboshi was purchased in 1973 from an antiques shop on Shinmonzen Street in Kyoto, and a copy of sales original receipt is available.

CONDITION is excellent, with wonderful original patina. There is some light wear consistent with age and usage.

In the winter months, handwarmers would be filled with glowing coals and carried to warm the holder’s icy fingers and toes. A New Year’s tradition had villagers taking coals from the main village fire back to their own homes in handwarmers such as this one to ensure good fortune in the coming year. The intricate and refined beauty of these utilitarian objects also made handwarmers an important accoutrement in the scholar’s study.

The alloy paktong has a fascinating history. Centuries before nickel was isolated in the west, the Chinese had produced an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel which had the lustrous sheen and color tone of silver, was appreciably harder than silver, and did not tarnish in use. Many examples of this alloy have a particularly pleasing color which is silver-bright but possesses what has been termed a “soul of gold.” For additional information about paktong, see our article on the subject in ARTS OF ASIA, Nov/Dec. 1992.

CONDITION is excellent.

This type of moribon basket or tray was used for displaying seasonal fruit, and it was carved out of a single tree stump. (A similar example can be seen in Figure 133 in “Shadowed Reflections, Japanese Views,” a hardcover catalog by Kagedo Japanese Art.) This is a wonderful and scarce example of early Japanese burl wood carving.

CONDITION is very good, consistent with age and usage. Wonderful rich patina. There is evidence of an early restoration to age cracks in the handle which does not detract from its appearance in any way.

The spectacle of deep-orange persimmon heavy on the bough is one of Japan’s great visual delights. The dried fruits of the kaki are strung together on a thin bamboo stalk and offered to the domestic gods at the New Year.

CONDITION is excellent with only minor surface wear consistent with age and usage.

DIMENSIONS: 3 ½” (9 cm) high to top of pot; 6 ¾” (17.2 cm) high to top of handle; 4” (10.2 cm) diameter.

The seal was an integral component of the Chinese scholar’s desk. In addition to correspondence and documents, seal marks are found most often on scroll paintings as signatures of the artist and proof of ownership by dignitaries. Inscriptions on seals became greatly expanded to carry long phrases and names of studios. Consequently, seals as a kind of certifying identification changed into artistic creations, focused on aesthetic appreciation and developed to become a unique art form.

CONDITION is excellent.

Tetsubin were popular in Japan as everyday household utensils and for informal and semi-formal tea drinking. During the second half of the 19th century, tetsubin made especially as tea utensils came to be highly esteemed. They were often elaborately decorated with cast iron ornament or with inlays. Fine ornamental tetsubin of this type were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony. Tetsubin can be classified according to their level of quality, separating those of higher technical quality and more decorative external features – the so-called “ornamental” kettles – from those of lower technical quality and less decorated ones. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today.

CONDITION is excellent, with normal vestiges of rusting.

An object with definite ritual associations, censers such as these were cast in the shape of a fairy mountain and often covered with scenes from nature modeled in low relief. Its base is lapped by the waves of the Eastern Sea, while the openings along the peak emit the incense smoke symbolizing the cloud-vapor (“yun-ch’i”) which is the exhalation of the fairy mountain. According to traditional Chinese belief, all nature is alive and “breathing.”

CONDITION is excellent, and the patina of age is wonderful.

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), Japan began to import great quantities of silk from China. Silk was one of the most important imports into Japan, and it is believed that ito-in were affixed to shipping cases containing silk. It may be that they were used to seal the package of silk, or that they were placed on receipts as proof of the transaction. Ito-in might also have been attached to silk shipments as a sort of certificate of the origin or quality of the goods. Ito-in means literally “thread seal.” They were also called “hakata-in,” or seals from Hakata, a trade port which played a leading role in the trade with China during this period.

Ito-in are bronze seals which are lighter in weight and smaller in size than traditional bronze seals. They were cast by a special method to make the inside of the grip hollow in order to minimize the weight, and the base was considerably thinner than ordinary seals. This indicates that ito-in were usually attached to something. Another name for them is “himo-in,” or “seals with cord.” Without exception, every existing ito-in has an aperture through which a cord can easily pass.

Experts differ on the question of whether these seals originated in Japan or China, and their origin is shrouded in mystery. Ito-in are not seals in the strict sense of the word -- they were not made for use exclusively as seals. They have engraved designs which look at first sight like strange forms of Chinese characters, yet with very few exceptions, they cannot be read. The grips were often decorated with animal or human figures, and they were cast in numerous shapes. Their overall features had more in common with Yuan and Ming dynasty seals than with Japanese seals of the same time period. Additionally, the clothing, hair styles and facial expressions of the human figures used for the grip are definitely Chinese, and the handling of animal motifs is permeated with a strong Chinese influence. Despite this, ito-in were regarded as seals in Japan, as the name itself reveals. They were even used as personal seals by many daimyo, including Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who used ito-in often in their documents.

Ito-in are also of interest due to their considerable influence on the development of netsuke, but that is another whole area of discussion unto itself. We have learned these details from an incredibly fascinating article, “Ito-In Japanese Silk Seals: An Inspiration for Netsuke?” by Kinya Niiseki (ARTS OF ASIA, July/August 1979) where seals and stamps similar to this one are copiously illustrated.

CONDITION is excellent, with wonderful patina and wear from centuries of handling.

The quality of the relief casting is superb. It is bold and strongly rendered, exceeding half an inch (13 mm) in depth in some places. The body of the kettle surrounding the smooth recessed panels is roughly textured, and the top edge is cast with random hollows and depressions. This edge reflects “intentional damage” cast specifically to add the appearance of great age and antiquity to the tetsubin. (A tetsubin similar in style and high relief casting is illustrated in Figure No. 162 in TETSUBIN by P.L.W. Arts.)

Fine ornamental tetsubin of this type were preferred by the upper classes for the sencha style tea ceremony. A common characteristic of sencha kettles was that one side more heavily decorated than the other. In the sencha tea ceremony a tetsubin, held by the host in his right hand, is looked at by the guest with the spout pointing to the right. This is the side of the tetsubin which is usually more ornately decorated in order to enable the guest to admire the kettle’s “best” side. High relief ornamental tetsubin like this one are magnificent examples of Japanese ironwork which are very much sought after by collectors today.

CONDITION: The iron kettle is in perfect condition with only normal rusting on the interior. The bronze lid has lost its finial although the fixing rod is still firmly present.