The kettle above was made by the historically well-known Japanese metalwork studio, ryubundo (龍文堂). In its three-hundred-year-long history, ryubundo is always known for their exquisite workmanship and unique designs. Having got inspiration from other forms of art, the masters of ryubundo were always painters, poets, sinologists, art historians, besides craftsmen. Ryubundo was mentioned in Natsume Sōseki’s novel, and was described as the highest level of teawares back at his time (early 20th century). This iron kettle with wild goose and kanshi pattern combines crudeness and sophistication. The uneven surface almost keeps the original state of the ironstone, indicating the wabisabi spirit of Japanese tea culture. Meanwhile, the calligraphy on the body and the gold and silver inlaid wild goose pattern on the handle shows the delicacy of the craftsmanship.
Material: Iron, bronze, silver
Size: 800ml
【龙文堂手把挫大雁唐诗铁壶】
这个铁壶出自拥有两百年历史的日本知名金工世家，龙文堂。从十八世纪的初代龙文堂开始，他们所制作的铁壶、银壶就以做工精美，设计独特而著称。从初代开始，历代龙文堂堂主几乎都有书画上的追求，并从文人画，汉诗等其他艺术形式中需求灵感。他们既是工匠，也是诗人，汉学家，艺术家。
RYUBUNDO 龙文堂
From the very early of its history, dating back to the early 18th century, the metalwork studio “Ryubundo” 龍文堂 always represents the highest standard of tetsubin (Japanese iron kettle) making. From the founder of the studio, Shiho Ryubun (1735-1798), every successive director of the studio ryubundo were talented not only in metalworking, but also in painting, calligraphy, and poetry. Therefore, the aristocratic, literatic taste are the main features of ryubundo tetsubin. From the middle of Edo Period (1603-1868) when tea culture was popular everywhere in Japan, the development of ryubundo reached a boom, and this boom continued to the latter Meiji Period (1868~1912), and the studio was mentioned in the ironic novel by the famous Japanese writer Natsume Soseki, I Am a Cat. The sentence writes “those people living a luxurious life would lose their sleep if they could not hear the sound made by the lid of ryubundo iron kettles when water is boiling”
日本京都的金工名家——龙文堂，在其三百余年的历史当中始终代表着日本茶器具制作的巅峰水准。从创始者四方龙文(1735-1798), 到之后的历任龙文堂堂主，皆博学多才，除了金工之外，往往擅长书画，并精通国学。因而，龙文堂制作的茶器具中，不少都令人遥想当年汉风雅韵。从茶文化盛行的江户时代开始，龙文堂铁壶就在贵族间十分兴盛。而在时代巨变的明治，龙文堂随日本金工一起发展到了极致。被日本二十世纪最著名的小说家，夏目漱石在其代表作《我是猫》中提到。
