Iron Kettle (Tetsubin), Japan, 19th CenturyIn the middle of the 17th century, sencha (tea leaves) were introduced to Japan from China. It was much less formal than traditional chanoyu (tea ceremony which used crushed leaves)) and was quickly absorbed into the Japanese lifestyle.It is not known for certain why cast iron teapots (Tetsubin) were created, but it was possibly to allow the iron flavor of Tetsubin to be leached into the water when it was boiled to replace the less pleasant copper taste realized from Yakkan (copper pots used for boiling water). Whatever the reason, the 18th century witnessed a tremendous surge in drinking sencha in Japan and the development of Tetsubin took place.By the 19th century, Tetsubin were household items in most homes. As their use increased, more elaborate Tetsubin were produced and by the end of the 19th century, Tetsubin were rarely simple iron kettles, but more commonly were works of art.This stunning Tetsubin, with the body wrapped by four palm branches in ukidashi (“floating out” style of deeply pierced and difficult relief work). The bronze handle is inlaid with silver bats for good luck, reishi mushrooms for longevity, and is lined in silver. The bronze lid is accented with a silver and shakudo (alloy of gold and copper) chrysanthemum knob and signed on the reverse Manshuda. The box is inscribed Manshuda (Kyoto). 8.5 x 7.5 inches