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Signed High Relief Tetsubin in House Form, Meiji Period browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese:Tea Articles: Pre 1920: item # 822596 Please refer to our stock # 6A-427 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book SOLD |
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This most unusual high relief ornamental Japanese iron tea pot (“tetsubin”) was cast in the shape of a thatched-roof house. Meiji period, ca. 1900. There is a round seal script signature cast on the bottom of the square body beneath the spout, which appears to read “Ueda zo.” The iron lid is cast to resemble the top segment of a thatched roof, complete with architectural elements. Cast in low relief on one side of the house is the trunk of tree, and its branches, leaves and flowers decorate the roof in low relief. The large roof is extensive, comprising most of the body of the kettle. Beneath the eves of the roof, there is low relief casting of doors and windows. The iron handle is attached to the body with unusual handle mounts cast in the form of kawara roof tiles. (For a similar example of this style by Ueda, see illustration No. 63 in Tetsubin by P.L.W. Arts.) 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 second half of 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. 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. 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 only normal rust on the interior. DIMENSIONS: 5 ½” (14 cm) high to top of pot; 7 ¾” (19.6 cm) high to top of handle; 5” (12.7 cm) square. |
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