Tetsubin are cast iron teapots made in Japan and often used in a Japanese tea ceremony. Normally the teapots are elaborately decorated with relief designs on the outside and glazed with enamel on the inside. These features, in addition to their small size and often unusual shape makes them popular with collectors. A typical Tetsubin holds around .5 liters of water. It is usually sold with a tea strainer and an iron trivet decorated with a similar relief design.

Tetsubin date back to the 17th century and were originally used to brew tea or simply boil water over a hearth, lacking the decorative features of today's teapots. During the 19th century infused tea became more popular, and tetsubin were considered primarily status symbols, rather than functional kitchen items. Today they are used to brew and serve tea, however tetsubin are not normally placed on the stove. Instead, water is boiled elsewhere and then poured into the teapot to make tea.

The prefectures of Iwate and Yamagata are best known for producing tetsubin.

See also

• Japanese tea ceremony
• Teapot
• Teakettle

External links

• Tetsubin Teapots - Facts, History & Its Role in the Japanese Tea Ceremony