A shirizari-gama cast iron tea kettle by Kakutani Shason — made in the tradition of the Kakutani family, one of Takaoka's most distinguished釜師 lineages. The rounded, bottom-swelled body carries a dense sand-textured surface, a flat iron lid with copper-ball finial, and a pair of iron bail rings. This chagama arrives with its original wood box and yellow fukusa cloth, constituting a complete tea ceremony implement of substantial authorship and presence.
🔹 [ BASIC DETAILS ] • Artist: Kakutani Shason (角谷沙村) • Technique: Cast iron (鋳鉄), shirizari-gama form • Era: Contemporary (Showa–Heisei) • Origin: Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Japan • Dimensions: H approx. 20 cm, Rim diameter approx. 9.7 cm, Base diameter approx. 11.5 cm • Box: Original wood box (共箱) with artist's signature and seal • Accessories: Iron bail rings (釜釻), fukusa cloth (yellow) • Condition: Excellent. No rust, cracks, or damage. Interior shows appropriate iron patina consistent with a well-maintained casting.
🔹 [ CULTURAL & ARTISTIC INSIGHT ] The shirizari-gama (尻張釜) is a canonical form in the vocabulary of Japanese iron tea kettles — its defining character is the gentle outward flare of the lower body, creating a silhouette that reads simultaneously as grounded and generous. The name itself describes this quality: the hip pushed outward, settled. In the tea room, its presence conveys a particular kind of authority without aggression — mass held in repose.
Kakutani Shason belongs to the Kakutani lineage of Takaoka, a city in Toyama Prefecture that has produced cast-iron ware for centuries. Takaoka tetsubin and chagama stand alongside Nambu ironware as the twin pillars of Japanese iron casting tradition. The sand-textured surface visible in this piece — a dense, fine-grained ground that catches light without reflecting it — is the hallmark of Takaoka's casting aesthetic.
🔹 [ DEEP-DIVE COMMENTARY ] The surface texture of this kettle repays close examination. It is not rough in the manner of aged iron; it is precisely controlled texture — each grain the result of the sand mold into which molten iron was poured. The effect is a surface that appears to absorb light rather than reflect it, giving the iron a matte warmth uncommon in decorative metalwork. Against the neutral surface, the two loop-handled bail rings stand as the sole sculptural accent — their slightly irregular profiles confirming hand-finishing.
The lid, flat and iron with a copper-glazed ball finial, fits the rim with the quiet precision that distinguishes a well-cast piece from a production item. The finial — darker, rounder, warmer in tone than the iron body — introduces a single note of contrast that prevents the object from becoming monolithic.
The wood box bears the artist's name in strong brushwork: 釜師 角谷沙村, with a wax seal below. The inscription reads 尻張釜 on the box face — this naming is not decorative; it is a transmission document, identifying the form for future generations. The Kakutani family's reputation for producing work of consistent structural integrity means that this kettle can be used in practice, not merely displayed.
For the collector: cast iron tea kettles of this quality are increasingly sought by collectors outside Japan who recognize the density of intention embedded in a properly made chagama. The shirizari form's proportions are considered ideal for ro (sunken hearth) placement in winter tea practice.
[ JAPANESE DESCRIPTION / 日本語解説 ] 角谷沙村による尻張釜。高岡を代表する釜師・角谷家の作。砂地鋳肌の鉄地、平蓋に銅玉摘み、鉄製釜釻付き。共箱に「尻張釜」と角谷沙村の署名・落款あり。黄福紗付属。
🔹 [ SHIPPING & PACKAGING ] • Dispatch: Within 1-6 business days • Carrier: Japan Post EMS / UPS (with tracking) • Packaging: Carefully wrapped with protective materials
