Takahashi Keiten - 高橋敬典（1920–2009） - Tea kettle - Cast iron - Tortoise-Shell Relief

Item Description
Takahashi Keiten (高橋敬典, 1920–2009) was one of Japan's most celebrated cast-iron kettle makers, certified in 1996 as a Living National Treasure (Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property) for chanoyu-gama, iron kettles used in the tea ceremony.
This is a superb example of his work: a cast-iron tea kettle named "Kikko Ji-ita Gama" (亀甲地板釜), meaning "tortoise-shell relief-panel kettle."
The entire body is meticulously carved in an all-over kikko (hexagonal, tortoise-shell) relief pattern, with crane (tsuru) motifs worked into the hexagon cells — a rare and highly elaborate composition even among Keiten's own output.
The kettle carries his signature (mei) on the body, and it is regarded among his finest and most labor-intensive works.
It comes complete with its original signed wooden storage box (tomobako), further confirming its authenticity and provenance.
This is a Showa-era piece that has seen genuine use for the tea ceremony over the years.
For a kettle of its age and history, it remains in remarkably fine condition — please see the Condition section and photos for full details.
A rare opportunity to acquire a top-tier, exhibition-quality work by a Living National Treasure, complete with its original box.

Size
Body diameter: 21 cm
Height: 22 cm
Mouth inner diameter: 10 cm

Weight 2470 g

Condition
A used Showa-era kettle in excellent condition for its age.
The exterior is very clean and well-preserved, showing the fine detail of the kikko relief carving and crane motifs clearly.
The interior shows some age-related rust, as is normal and expected for a cast-iron kettle that has been used for tea ceremony over the decades.
Comes complete with its original signed wooden storage box (tomobako).

Artist Profile
Takahashi Keiten (高橋敬典, 1920–2009) was born in the Doumachi casting district of Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture — the historic heart of Yamagata imono (Yamagata cast metalwork), a tradition entirely distinct from the better-known Nanbu ironware of Iwate.
He trained under the renowned kettle maker Nagano Tesshi, and was first accepted into the Nitten exhibition in 1951, going on to win repeated awards at the Japan Traditional Kogei Exhibition.
He presented kettles to Emperor Showa in 1961 and to then-Crown Prince Akihito (later Emperor Heisei) in 1979, helping bring national recognition to Yamagata casting.
Keiten was known for carrying out every stage of the process himself, from mold-making to final finishing, and for his distinctive hera-oshi technique of pressing patterns directly into the mold by hand, producing refined surface textures and restrained, elegant motifs.
In 1996, he was certified by the Japanese government as a Holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (commonly known as a Living National Treasure) for chanoyu-gama, tea-ceremony iron kettles — one of the highest honors available to a Japanese craftsman.

Notice
The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL, FedEx or Japan Post depending on the situation.
Please note that we may use recycled cardboard boxes for outer packaging.
It takes about 2–3 weeks to receive normally.

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