Discover artwork secret with Miyuki !

 How are the products made?  Do you have these questions?

 In this page, I will show you some of our artists how to make our products.

 Self-Introduce, Miyuki

Hi, I am Miyuki, Kiryudo online store manager. I am very grateful for you visiting Kiryudo store.

 Before you read the artical, please give me a second to introduce myself. I was born in Himi city and got married in Takaoka for 10 ten years.Takaoka city, is next to Himi, has the beautiful nature and rich resources in seafood,  of course not to mention the fresh and great taste .

Takaoka also is an artwork city which has more than 400-years history.I know I am lucky living Takaoka and very proud of its culture.

I also have been working in the company which has over 80 years history. I should have a lot of chance to see those artists. In fact, it really depends on what position you have and what job you charge.

Since Kiryudo, the brand online store, was built up and done the business for iron kettle and silver teapot, I was touched by so many products, I feel a lot of things need me to learn and share with you.

That’s why I am going to do the trips. I hope you will enjoy the trips with me and I hope our work will touch you too.

Kiryudo will show you the whole production process from raw material to a beautiful iron kettle.Through one iron kettle, you can see the great wisdom with amazing technique of every artist.

 Step 1. Cast and Modification

Sougata is one of the casts for luxurious iron kettles. Generally, it is said the mold is made with an iron board, but these boards aren’t normal one you usually see, they look like kinds of strange shapes.

Put the board on a stand, then put it into the mold soil and turn it around by clockwise direction for several times, the mold will be shaped. The next step is put the inner mold into outer mold, between these two molds it should have a gap, if you put melting iron into this gap, it will become the iron kettle body.

When mold is shaped, then use spatula to draw a pattern directly on the mold.In this session, artist thinks the mold will bear the extreme high temperature and weight strength as well as impressive pattern and beautiful design all together. This is a technique hard work.

This mold is disposal one, even artist works a lot on each mold. When the mold is ready, artist starts melting raw iron material, the cast iron material is adjusted according to the weather and humidity of that day. When all is ready, artist begins the pouring process.

When you read here, you may say it seems like a simple work. No, it doesn’t. Pouring timing should be adjusted by melting iron temperature and the product design. It needs years of experience. In addition, the artist should have physical endurance of working high temperature and physical strength circumstance.

 Step 2, Engrave and Inlay

Cut a slit or a shape in iron kettle body, and then cut a same shape silver or gold, put them into the slit or a space.

When they are fixed, carve the silver or gold into beautiful designs by the special chisels.

In the very beginning, the cut is very important, because this session decides the decoration lifetime, if it is not appropriate, the inlay decoration will fall off immediately.The right cut is gradually widened from front to depth.

Artist has hundreds of chisels, which chisel would be right for the product. Artist selects it by his experience. Of course, every chisel should be chosen by the iron kettle design, the surface hardness or the decoration design and material, so that’s why he has great number of chisels. Definitely, the hammer will be changed according to the chisel. He has a lot of different hammers too.

Step 3, Coating

 When inlay is done and handle is put up, then get iron kettle to the final process of coating.

Clean the dust and finger oil off iron kettle body, brush Urushi ( natural material takes from Urushi tree) on both inside and outside, then put it into drying oven, after that, dip the brush into Ohaguro ( acid and iron mixture) liquid and quickly move it to the outside only of iron kettle body, brush as well as heat it by gas burner.

When the temperature arrives to some level, sound will be emitted while brushing the iron kettle surface, at the mean time, the coating was formed. In this session, artist should have enough experience to predict the temperature and humidity.

The Ohaguro is a secret mixture. The ingredient is different for each artist. During the war, artist had to save their Ohaguro by hiding it into jar under basement floor.When coating is over, the next step is to make silver shine. When all is done, the iron kettle is completed as a product.

※The items we introduce can be delivered within few days, but the time you place order, they are probably out of stock. In this case, Kiryudo will email you about the exact shipping date. If you have questions, please contact with us.

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