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HOME >Cast Iron Kettle >Seikodo
Seikodo is one of the oldest brands in Yamagata. It has been in existence since the 1600’s. During the Edo Era, Seikodo specialized in casting weaponry, kitchen utensils or praying paraphernalia for Buddhist worship. From the 1900’s onwards, the 6th generation of Seikodo began making cast iron kettles. At present, it is the 10th generation of this family who are only a handful dedicated masters casters of iron kettle in Yamagata.
Sato Takumi who is the 10th generation caster of Seikodo is now heading this brand with his father, Oko. He emphasizes the element of Wabi-Sabi, which means the imperfect beauty described by the word "aesthetic" and this is reflected in his products. He has introduced various kinds of picture that reminds us of Kyoto style tetsubin.
The workshop is located at the residential area of Yamagata city. It is managed by Takumi and his father, Oko, and a few more other casters. Seikodo is more specialized in cast iron tea equipment for Sado (茶道) and there are a number of molds meant for these high-end products. Yamagata produces the hand-made cast iron kettle deploying the original method which uses the "dry mold". A metal mold is used to make the clay mold. The clay mold is then dried and used for casting iron. It is effective in producing the item at a lower cost, yet it involves elaborate work in making the metal mold.
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