The name “Nambu” comes from the feudal clan that ruled the Morioka region in Japan in the early Edo period from 1603-1868. The local land was rich in iron sand, clay, charcoal, and lacquer, all of which are essential for ironwork.
The tradition of iron casting has been passed down through families for generations, and many still have original drawings for tea pot designs created hundreds of years ago.
The knowledge of how to make these beautiful teapots was nearly lost.
During the Pacific War, regulations in 1938 forced people to turn in iron and steel objects to be made into munitions. Workshops were banned from making tea kettles, but local craftspeople formed a group to work for the preservation of the art of Nambu Tetsubin.
Despite their best efforts, the increasing availability of aluminum and stainless steel after the war hastened the decline of traditional ironware. Thankfully the Law for the Promotion of Traditional Crafts Industries was enacted in 1974, and Nambu Tetsubin was the first to be officially designated as Japan’s traditional craft.
They’re still made the same way.
Craftspeople use the design drawings to create a mold from sand packed into a cylindrical wooden frame. They carve patterns into the sand using various tools, some of which have been passed down from the Edo period! They dry the molds completely in charcoal at 800-1000°C before using them for casting.
They heat the iron to 1500°C to remove impurities from the molten iron before they pour it into the mold. Once it has cooled somewhat, they remove the tetsubin tea pot from the mold and check for even thickness by tapping it with a hammer and listening to the resonance.
Then they finish the kettle with another firing to create an oxide film and coat it with a rust-preventative liquid of steel in acetic acid and brewed tea.
Google Arts & Culture guides us through the history of the Nambu Tekki cast iron tea pot, and includes the above video.
We are proud to honor these beautiful vessels with a variety of Tetsubin tea pots and cups available in our store.
