Experience Authentic Japanese Chagama Art with this Takahashi Keitei Amida-gama. This Living National Treasure creation serves as a Cast Iron Tea Kettle and Ningen Kokuho Ironwork, featuring Textured Iron Surface and Ring Handle Kettle design — the definitive Japanese Chagama for any Tea Ceremony Kettle collector seeking Yamagata Casting provenance with a Signed Tomobako Box.
🔹 [ Basic Details ] • Artist: Takahashi Keitei (高橋敬典) — Living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuhō) for chagama • Technique: Cast iron (tetsu) with textured surface • Era: Contemporary (2000–2006) • Origin: Yamagata Prefecture, Japan • Dimensions: Height approx. 21 cm (with lid), Rim diameter approx. 11.8 cm, Base diameter approx. 13 cm • Box: Signed tomobako with pamphlet • Lid: Dark patinated iron with silver-toned knob (tsuknob) • Handles: Iron ring handles (kan) on both sides • Condition: Excellent — patina is warm and even, fully functional
🔹 [ Cultural & Artistic Insight ] The Amida-gama takes its name from the rounded form that suggests the halo of Amida Buddha. Takahashi Keitei — the only Living National Treasure ever designated specifically for chagama craftsmanship — cast this kettle with the quiet gravity that forty years of practice produces.
The body wears a warm reddish-brown patina with a finely textured surface (arare-like pitting) that absorbs light rather than reflecting it. The lower half shows a slightly rougher casting texture, separated by a subtle horizontal seam — the meeting line of the two-part sand mold. Iron ring handles hang freely, their weight a counterbalance to the kettle's mass.
"Iron that has been shaped for tea does not merely boil water — it transforms it."
🔹 [ Deep-Dive Commentary ] Yamagata casting (Yamagata imono) has a 900-year history. Takahashi Keitei's 1996 designation as Living National Treasure was the first — and remains the only — such recognition for chagama making, acknowledging both the technical mastery of sand-mold casting and the aesthetic refinement required for tea ceremony use.
The Amida-gama form is one of the most revered kettle shapes in chanoyu. Its globular body radiates heat evenly, and the iron imparts minerals to the water that tea practitioners believe softens and improves the taste. The silver-toned knob on the lid provides a visual focal point and practical grip.
At 21 cm with lid, this kettle has the proportions suited to a standard furo (brazier) or ro (sunken hearth), making it versatile across seasons. The pamphlet and signed box authenticate the piece within Takahashi's documented body of work.
🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ] • Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days • Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking) • Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials
