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[[Image:Hanging kettle in Japan.jpg|thumb|A tetsubin cast iron kettle is suspended over a fire in a traditional Japanese style farm house, at the Boso-no-Mura Museum]]

[[File:Hanging kettle in Japan.jpg|thumb|250px|right|A tetsubin cast iron kettle is suspended over a fire in a traditional Japanese style farm house, at the Boso-no-Mura Museum]]

'''''Tetsubin'''''Japanese cast iron pots having a pouring spout, a lid, and a handle crossing over the top, used for boiling and pouring hot water for drinking purposes, such as for making [[tea]].

'''''Tetsubin''''' is a Japanese cast iron pots with a pouring spout, a lid, and a handle on the top. It is used for boiling and pouring hot water for drinking purposes, such as for making [[tea]].

''Tetsubin'' are traditionally heated over a charcoal fire. In the Japanese art of [[Japanese tea ceremony]], the special portable brazier for this is the ''binkake''.

''Tetsubin'' are traditionally heated over a charcoal fire.

''Tetsubin'' are often elaborately decorated with relief designs on the outside. They range widely in size, and many have unusual shapes, making them popular with collectors. A relatively small ''tetsubin'' may hold around .5 litres of water; large ones may hold around 5 litres.   

''Tetsubin'' are often elaborately decorated with relief designs on the outside. They range widely in size, and many have unusual shapes and are therefor popular with collectors. A relatively small ''tetsubin'' may hold around .5 litres of water while large ones may hold up to 5 litres.   

The historical origin of the ''tetsubin'' is not certain. At least one authoritative Japanese source states that it developed from the spouted and handled water kettle called ''tedorigama'' that was already being used in tea ceremony during the 15th century in the era of [[Sen no Rikyu]] (1522–91). During the 19th century, infused tea became more popular and ''tetsubin'' were considered primarily status symbols rather than functional kitchen items.

 

The historical origin of the ''tetsubin'' is not certain. At least one authoritative Japanese source states that it developed from the spouted and handled water kettle called ''tedorigama'' that was already being used in tea ceremony in the era of [[Sen no Rikyu]] (1522–91). During the 19th century, infused tea became more popular and ''tetsubin'' were considered primarily status symbols rather than functional kitchen items.

   

   

There is also a kind of relatively small cast iron pot that resembles a ''tetsubin'' but is glazed with enamel on the inside in order to lend itself to making brewed tea, and is referred to as an iron [[kyusu]] or teapot.

There is also a kind of relatively small cast iron pot that resembles a ''tetsubin'' but is glazed with enamel on the inside in order to lend itself to making brewed tea, and is referred to as an iron [[kyusu]] or teapot.

[[Image:TetsubinBlack.JPG|thumb| A modern tetsubin in use at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco café]]

[[Image:TetsubinBlack.JPG|thumb|250px|right| A modern tetsubin in use at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco café]]

It is not clear when the first tetsubin pots appeared in Japan, but a hypothesis is that the popularity of the tetsubin pot grew alongside with [[sencha]] [[green tea]]. China introduced Japan to sencha around the middle of the 17th century. Throughout the 18th century, people started drinking sencha as an informal setting for sharing a cup of tea with friends or family. With the rising popularity of sencha also the popularity of the tetsubin grew. Tea pots similar to tetsubin are tedorikama, toyama, mizusosogi, dobin, and yakkan. The yakkan is the very similar to the tetsubin with the main difference that the yakkan is made from copper whereas tetsubins are traditionally made out of cast iron. During the 19th century, tetsubin designs went from simple basic iron kettles, to elaborately engraved masterpieces.

It is not clear when the first tetsubin pots appeared in Japan, but a hypothesis is that the popularity of the tetsubin pot grew alongside [[sencha]], a form a leaf tea. China introduced Japan to sencha around the middle of the 17th century. Sencha was not considered as formal as [[matcha]], the common powdered green tea at the time. Throughout the 18th century, people started drinking sencha as an informal setting for sharing a cup of tea with friends or family. As more people drank sencha, the popularity of the tetsubin grew. The tetsubin pot is most probably not an original design, but rather shaped by other pots around at the time. The five closest relatives to the tetsubin are the tedorikama, the toyama, the mizusosogi, the dobin, and the yakkan. The yakkan is the closest relative to the tetsubin, the main difference is that the yakkan is made from copper, whereas tetsubins are traditionally made out of iron. Some people have wondered why the tetsubin was developed, when a perfectly usable vessel such as the yakkan would have worked. Tea drinkers may have preferred the taste of water from an iron pot over the taste of water from a copper pot, which was what the yakkan was primarily made of. Throughout the 18th century, tetsubin kettles became a standard household utensil for heating water to make tea with. As the use of these pots increased, so too did the intricacy. During the 19th century, tetsubin designs went from simple basic iron kettles, to elaborately engraved masterpieces.

==See also==

==See also==

* [[Yixing]]

* [[Yixing]]

* [[Japanese tea ceremony]]

* [[Japanese tea ceremony]]

* [[Kyusu]], traditional Japanese teapots with side handles

* [[Kyusu]], traditional Japanese teapots with side handles

[[Category:Japanese tea ceremony]]

[[Category:Japanese tea ceremony]]