Urushi Iwachu Teapot - Red, 300 ml

Nanbu Tekki: quality and tradition
This cast iron teapot has been manufactured in Morioka - Japan by the Iwachu family company. It is a beautiful and at the same time practical object if you are a tea lover and probably one of the highest quality teapots on the market. It complies with the strict Japanese food quality controls so that you can use it with total confidence (see the Certificate of Public Health).

Urushi, exceptional teapots
Urushi refers to a traditional type of Japanese lacquer. Following the Maki-e style, various layers of coloured lacquer are applied to the cast iron surface in order to decorate and protect the teapot. This process takes time as each layer has to stabilise and strengthen through an oxidation reaction before applying the following one.
Although the origins of Urushi date back to the Neolithic period, skilful craftsmen had been improving it until it reached an extraordinary level of refinement in the XVIth century. Now Iwachu is giving a tribute to this centuries-old tradition.

Each Iwachu teapot is made following a handcrafted process with more than 60 steps that can be summarized as follows:
- Interior and exterior moulds are prepared.
- Molten iron is poured into the mould.
- Once cooled, the mould is broken, the teapot is removed and the edges are filed.
- The interior part is enamelled.
- The exterior surface is painted.
- Once dry, it is packaged carefully.
For more than 100 years, Iwachu has been manufacturing beautiful cast iron objects. When you buy your teapot, make sure you have the ‘Made in Japan’ logo engraved as a guarantee of quality.

About green tea, did you know that?
1,200 years ago, priest Saicho brought the first batch of tea to Japan. Kissa Yokoji wrote in 1191: Tea is a miraculous medicine for health and an elixir for long life. In ancient and modern times, tea is the elixir that guides us on the path of immortality. At first it was a drink linked to nobility but during the Edo period (1603 -1868) tea ceremonies and all the related elements such as cast iron teapots, became popular throughout Japan. Today, green tea is part of the soul of Japan and it is savoured at any time of the day.

Recommendations for use:
- Never put the teapot directly on the fire: the enamel can be damaged.
- It is not suitable for microwave or dishwasher.
- Clean only with water; do not use any soap or abrasive materials.