Kyo-kama (tea ceremony kettle creation)

Around the Kamakura period, iron kettles were used as a tool for boiling water not only for tea, but for family meals, baths and other daily activities that required the use of hot water. The tea ceremony kettle, used exclusively for boiling water for use in the tea ceremony, made its appearance with the development of the tea ceremony. The tea kettle has a special presence amongst tea utensils, as evidenced by the phrase “kama wo kakeru” (to hang up the tea kettle), which is used to describe the act of holding a tea ceremony. Kyo-kama masters work behind the scene and do not inscribe their signatures on their creations, but tea ceremony masters are able to distinguish the works of different kettle masters by considering the atmosphere of the tea kettle in question. Today, four or five kettle masters continue to protect the Kyo-kama brand cultivated by their predecessors.