Item description / significance
This is a small Japanese cast iron rabbit. The rabbit is one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. It was the zodiac animal of the year 2023.
Bought where
on Xianyu, the Chinese second-hand marketplace app
Age and origin
new, Japanese
What I like about it
It’s a rabbit. I like all the Chinese zodiac animals… but some animals are more equal than others. In this case, the rabbits come out on top, not the pigs!
The material. Small cast iron objects are satisfyingly dense. There’s a typical “seam” around the middle, a result of the casting process, that gives the object a symmetrical front and back.
The shape and texture. Unlike porcelain, cast iron doesn’t really permit fine detail. The surface is coated with something smooth, but it’s rough underneath.
The color. Something has been added to the surface that sticks in the cracks more than to the other parts of the surface. This highlights the shape of the rabbit more than a uniform dark black would. This bronze green color is typical, but I’ve also seen white/grey, brown, blue, red, and yellow.
See below for information on Japanese cast iron and more photos.
History of Japanese cast iron
Cast iron is a traditional 17th-century craft from what is now Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan. Historically, this was part of the Nambu clan’s domain, which was centered at Morioka City. Thus, Japanese cast iron is called Nambu tekki (Nambu ironware). It’s sometimes called “southern ironware” because “Nambu” means “south part.” The typical appearance of the ironware is a bit rough and black, but the iron is typically coated with a type of protective lacquer glaze called urushi.
Cast iron is now used to make tea kettles (tetsubin) for boiling water, tea pots (kyusu) for brewing tea, and possibly some vessels that serve both purposes, although I gather this is not traditional. A variety of cast iron cookware is also available. Other cast iron products include bells and wind chimes, but what I like best are the little animals, which generally serve no function whatsoever, apart from decoration.
» Tokyo Weekender article about Nambu ironware
» Kogei Japan article about Nambu tekki
» Boonie Hicks blog post about Nanbu tekki
Seller photos
