Metal Worker   Eda Kei

​

  Making Tea Kettle and Tetsubin(iron kettle) from sand iron, each of them is handmade.

Sand Iron is mainly difficult and rare and valuable casting material.

Metal worker shop Eda thats lasts 400 years.

Now president the twenty three Kei Eda.

He is Japanese Traditional Art Crafts member

​

Make other things Tea ceremony Metal Goods and each type of Casting Goods.

​

 

About Japanese pig iron
There are two types of cast iron, Western pig iron and Japanese pig iron.
Western pig iron is a metal made from "iron ore", which is technically imported from Europe after the Meiji era and pig iron.
Japanese pig iron is an iron ingot made by the smelting method [Tatara iron making] using iron sand from ancient Japan, and is the same material as Japanese swords.
Japanese pig iron（iron sand） is characterized by its excellent durability, hardness, and gold quality, which are resistant to rust.
"Tatara ironmaking" requires a large amount of iron sand and charcoal, and requires skillful special techniques, but the amount of metal that can be refined is extremely small, so mass production from Europe is possible and the cost is low. "Western pig iron(iron ore)" is now the mainstream, and 99% of the total uses "Western pig iron(iron ore)".
There are only a few "Tatara Ironworks" operations in Japan, and these are smelters for technology preservation, and there are no products on the market, so it is difficult to obtain them.
The Eda family has been producing "Japanese pig iron（iron sand）" produced from "Tatara Ironworks" for more than 400 years.
The more you use it, the deeper the taste becomes, and the less rust-resistant "Japanese pig iron products" are produced, so they are especially prized in the tea ceremony.

​

​

　　Career　　Kei Eda (Kouundou Store and Workshop Eda  manager) 

                       ＜Metal Worker / Casting Master＞

​

1957: Born in the 23rd generation of the Eda family.

1976: Studied under the human national treasure (Tea ceremony Kettle) Nagano               Tetsusi (first generation).

1982: Received the Asahi Newspaper Award at the Japanese Traditional Metal                Craft Exhibition.

1985: Awarded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs Award at the

        New Craft Exhibition   of Traditional Japanese Metalwork.

1988: Held in Birmingham, USA Participated in the

        "National Cast Iron Art  Conference" and demonstrated the skills and abilities.

1996: Excellence Award at Tea Ceremony Open Call Exhibition.

2001: Exhibited at Japan-Korea International Craft Exhibition

2001:  NHK Chairman's Award at the Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition.

2004:  Japan-USA International Tea Ceremony Exchange Exhibition.

         at the University of Minnesota, Northfield University,

         Carlton University   

         Lecture on "Japanese metalwork", public casting experience, and guidance.

2010: National Museum of Modern Art, Craft MuseumExhibited in

        "Around Tea Ceremony: A Perspective on Contemporary Crafts".

2012: MOA Museum "Mokichi Okada Award" exhibition.

2013: Anniversary of the 60th Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition sponsored

        by the National Museum of Modern Art, Craft Museum Exhibited in

        "From Crafts to KOUGEI".

2018: Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award

        at Japanese Traditional Metalwork Exhibition.

2019: Exhibition in Hong Kong SOGO Department store and Galleries in China Xi'an .

 

       【Current position】

     Currently a regular member of the Japan Craft association.

     Judge of Japan Traditional Crafts Exhibition.Steering Committee Member,

     Crafts Department, Miyagi Prefecture Artist Association.

​

           URL    http://ekei39.wix.com/wazuku

​

​

          3278-Akami-Chou. Sano-City.  Tochigi    327-0104

                                                    Tel/Fax  0283-25-4323

 

            E-mail : ekei@aqua.ocn.ne.jp

​