Tea Ceremony Kettle made from Incense Burner. Old Ashiya Ware (Important Art Object)

This unique tea kettle for chanoyu (literally, "hot water for tea," referring to the Japanese tea ceremony) was originally cast as an incense burner. Decorated with a band of triple-comma tomoe around the rim and linked beads encircling its body, the bottom was replaced and triangular handles cut with a circle and oval were attached to this piece. The raised inscriptions, respectively on the front and back of the exterior, reveal the origins of this kettle: "Incense Burner of Jomyo-ji Temple in the Ise Yamada Region" "[Casted by] the craftsman Yukinobu of Ashiya in the eighth month of Eisho 3 (1506)." This Ashiya metalwork, in which both the maker and date are known, is an extremely rare and invaluable source.