Textured Japanese Tetsubin with Lotus Bud

Decorated with a dotted, textured surface and an elegant arched handle, this Japanese teapot was used to boil water for traditional tea ceremonies. Known as tetsubin, the kettle’s cast-iron construction is said to change the quality of the water, making tea taste mellow and sweet. Made by pouring iron into clay or sand molds, the kettle has a rustic texture in pleasing contrast to its unusual angular form and incised lid, which bears a knob in the shape of a lotus bud. The lid is cast with the signature of the artisan who created the kettle during Japan's Meiji period, an era when artisans began introducing elements of modern Western design into traditional forms.