Hi everybody..
Ive read the board for a while.. But I've never posted because I try to search before I ask.but with this question I got sick of wading through the misinformation on the net and I figured the experts here would have the simple answer.
The tetsubin. Did it originate in china or japan? What is the traditional method of heating water for the Chinese? My teaware nowadays is pretty random and multicultural.. And always will be, but I like to know the real history behind everything.
Tetsubin is japanese cast iron pot.
Traditional tetsubin is made of pure cast iron, for water boiling purpose, so it gets corroded over time and usage.
Tetsubin teapot is another version of tetsubin, not intended for boiling water, the inner surface is coated with enamel or any kind of food grade paint. It is used also to brew tea.
Both Chip and Mary have more experience with tetsubin. I myself am happy with the iwachu brand tetsubin they recommended me.
Traditional tetsubin is made of pure cast iron, for water boiling purpose, so it gets corroded over time and usage.
Tetsubin teapot is another version of tetsubin, not intended for boiling water, the inner surface is coated with enamel or any kind of food grade paint. It is used also to brew tea.
Both Chip and Mary have more experience with tetsubin. I myself am happy with the iwachu brand tetsubin they recommended me.
Oct 22nd, '08, 15:26
Posts: 1633
Joined: Feb 15th, '08, 10:15
Location: Pennsylvania
I personally have a Japanese one that is very nice. (The one with porcelain inside). Anyway I personally say unless it is less than $30 never buy a Chinese one. I have compared a Chinese one to my Japanese one and there is a huge difference in quality. The funny thing is I got mine from Teavana, Though the tea isnt to fine there the cast iron products sure are.
How far back in the day? Lu Yu's "Classic of Tea" mentions 24 or so implements; I believe from a quick online search (and I don't have my translated copy here at work to check) that a cauldron and brazier were used to heat the water.trallis wrote:Thanks guys I appreciate the responses. But I still hope someone on here will have the answer to my question of what the chinese were boiling their water in back in the day
But back in these days, tea was processed and prepared very differently from the way we drink it now.
I would imagine most folks used some sort of kettle or pot over whatever stove they used for cooking.
In Chaozhou, some folks still use a small version of a charcoal stove with a little earthenware kettle; this tradition goes fairly far back, but I don't know how far exactly.
Chinese used mostly cast iron kettles. Tetsubin is a Japanese term, but cast iron kettles existed everywhere.
Lu Yu prefers iron -- he thought silver is too extravagant.
There were kettles that were made with gold, silver, pewter, iron. Most of the time I think iron is the preferred one -- cheap, durable.
Lu Yu prefers iron -- he thought silver is too extravagant.
There were kettles that were made with gold, silver, pewter, iron. Most of the time I think iron is the preferred one -- cheap, durable.
Interesting.. Do you have the pics of iron kettles used by the chinese in the past? similar to traditional tetsubin today?MarshalN wrote:Chinese used mostly cast iron kettles. Tetsubin is a Japanese term, but cast iron kettles existed everywhere.
Lu Yu prefers iron -- he thought silver is too extravagant.
There were kettles that were made with gold, silver, pewter, iron. Most of the time I think iron is the preferred one -- cheap, durable.
The two characters for tetsubin is literally "iron" and "vessel". Doesn't get much simpler than that.
I think in older times they were more like iron cauldrons -- the small ones that you sometimes see in Japanese tea ceremonies are probably the closest approximation we have now to that type of thing.
I think in older times they were more like iron cauldrons -- the small ones that you sometimes see in Japanese tea ceremonies are probably the closest approximation we have now to that type of thing.
Oct 24th, '08, 16:16
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Location: Boston, MA
That's a very interesting question! I never thought about it before. Then this question made me do some googling...
I found this - if it is truly from Qing dynasty, as claimed, I am really a little surprised how similar it is to tetsubin (even though I expected to see a lot of similarities between Japan and China).
http://trade.artxun.com/49819798-2.html
And then I saw this - must be an "upscale" one at its time
http://artxun.com/myapi/view.php?aid=8684
Overall I didn't find many images of ancient Chinese iron teapots. I guess it's because before industrial age, few people really treasured them. They were just for daily use. People would preserve porcelain, silver or at least brass teapots. At one time, aluminum was more expensive and more treasured than silver. People in different eras have very different sense of value
Cast iron kettle is nice. But for myself, I would only like the small, decorative kind with emerald lining. It saves my wrist to use stainless steel kettle for boiling water.
I found this - if it is truly from Qing dynasty, as claimed, I am really a little surprised how similar it is to tetsubin (even though I expected to see a lot of similarities between Japan and China).
http://trade.artxun.com/49819798-2.html
And then I saw this - must be an "upscale" one at its time
http://artxun.com/myapi/view.php?aid=8684
Overall I didn't find many images of ancient Chinese iron teapots. I guess it's because before industrial age, few people really treasured them. They were just for daily use. People would preserve porcelain, silver or at least brass teapots. At one time, aluminum was more expensive and more treasured than silver. People in different eras have very different sense of value
Cast iron kettle is nice. But for myself, I would only like the small, decorative kind with emerald lining. It saves my wrist to use stainless steel kettle for boiling water.
Thanks ginko and marshaln. Seems they're even more artistic than today's tetsubin.gingko wrote:That's a very interesting question! I never thought about it before. Then this question made me do some googling...
I found this - if it is truly from Qing dynasty, as claimed, I am really a little surprised how similar it is to tetsubin (even though I expected to see a lot of similarities between Japan and China).
http://trade.artxun.com/49819798-2.html
And then I saw this - must be an "upscale" one at its time
http://artxun.com/myapi/view.php?aid=8684
Overall I didn't find many images of ancient Chinese iron teapots. I guess it's because before industrial age, few people really treasured them. They were just for daily use. People would preserve porcelain, silver or at least brass teapots. At one time, aluminum was more expensive and more treasured than silver. People in different eras have very different sense of value
Cast iron kettle is nice. But for myself, I would only like the small, decorative kind with emerald lining. It saves my wrist to use stainless steel kettle for boiling water.
haha thanks im glad i can help stimulate some new thought. I appreciate the finds.. i never would have been able to interpret any info on those websites.gingko wrote:That's a very interesting question! I never thought about it before. Then this question made me do some googling...
What I'm really expecting from the beginning to find out is that pot that is now called the tetsubin, and used in japanese tea ceremony is relatively the same thing that the chinese were using possibly even before the japanese started making them