Press Release
Nambu Ironware Swallow Pot Water Kettle Teapot by Akira Kikuchi Wins the Silver A' Design Award in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
Akira Kikuchi honored for bakeware, tableware, drinkware and cookware design by the international grand jury of the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 14, 2024 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design category for Nambu Ironware Swallow Pot Water Kettle Teapot by Akira Kikuchi, designed for Nambu Ironware Studio Oitomi. The result belongs to the 2023 - 2024 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
About Nambu Ironware Swallow Pot Water Kettle Teapot
This small iron kettle inspired by 1980s design in modern lifestyle with small family, transforming the image of traditional Nambu ironware; this reproduced Swallow Pot has fixed handle drawing straight lines unlike the movable round handle of typical Tetsubin to give completely new impression with added usability. This product preserves anemia-alleviating function of Nambu ironware while preventing rust by the traditional Kamayaki technique. This smaller sized Tetsubin serves both as an iron kettle and a Kyusu teapot, overcoming the limitations of enameled Tesubin teapot in the market.
About Akira Kikuchi
Established in 1848 in Ôshû City, Iwate Prefecture JAPAN, Oitomi began as Hoshodo. Founder Oikawa Rigenta, a tea ceremony kettle craftsman for the Date clan, shaped Oitomi's 170-year legacy rooted in the tea ceremony. Iwate Prefecture's ironware, rooted in Morioka and Ôshû, gained "Nambu Ironware" status. We artisans strive to share the enduring charm of this legacy, passed through generations in our region. As artisans, we prioritize sustainable production to preserve iron's potential—a foundational resource for human civilization since Earth's beginning—for the well-being of future generations.
Award Record
With this recognition, Akira Kikuchi is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Award
The A' Kitchenware Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good kitchenware designs by best kitchenware brands and designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to kitchenware designers, product designers, industrial design studios and kitchenware brands from all countries. Entries typically include pots, pans, cutlery, plates, bowls and glasses. Awarded kitchenware designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/kitchenware
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/151573
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/151573
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!151573
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/344950
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://oitomi.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Nambu Ironware Swallow Pot Water Kettle Teapot
- Function
- Water Kettle Teapot
- Category
- Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Food & Hospitality
- Colors
- Black, Gainsboro, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray and Light Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Nambu Ironware Studio Oitomi
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Akira Kikuchi
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2023 - 2024
- Design ID
- #151573
Credits
- Team
- Kaito Kikuchi of Nambu Ironware Studio Oitomi and Marusan Shikki Hidehira-nuri lacquerware manufacture
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Traditional Nambu Tetsubin has some drawbacks when used by a small family with modern lifestyle. Thus, its size is reduced for easier handling, the round shape was replaced with square shape in straight line as the water tends to remain at the bottom. Movable round handle is fixed and given straight line to hold easily, while the handle and the spout are set at the same height to pour by a little twist of the wrist. This Tetsubin is named Swallow Pot for its swallow-like appearance.
- Inspiration
- Sudden and disastrous spread of Covid-19 throughout the world completely changed our notion of daily life—all of a sudden we confronted with harsh realities by losing someone close to us; we had to completely stop our daily routines―commuting to work or school, or going out to enjoy holidays or seeing families; even daily glossary shopping had to be skipped not to get in touch with people. Everyone in the world confronted with Covid issue realized what we had used to think natural and common is no longer normal.
- Realization and Technology
- Cooking with ironware is effective to take iron content to our body. However, ironware with enameled finish for rust prevention eliminates this benefit. Oitomi incorporates traditional Kamayaki method to form oxide film on iron surface for rusting, allowing Tetsubin to supply iron without rusting. Oitomi is working with Kinki University to reduce CO2 emissions during manufacturing by replacing typical coke furnaces fuel with bio-coke made from apple pomace considered as carbon neutral material.
- Operation and Interaction
- This Tetsubin functions both as a kettle and a teapot. The main body has a flat bottom unlike traditional Nambu Tetsubin, so that it is very stable when put on a stovetop or flat surfaces. The handle draws straight line yet round surface, which feels easy on hand; the angle of the handle attached to the main body keeps hand away from the hot body, and pouring is easy just by a slight twist of a wrist. Wooden knob on the lid allows to pick up the lid easily without touching the hot iron surface.
- Project Duration and Location
- Development of the prototype began in the 1980s, and the latest improved version was released on January 7th, 2021.
- Specifications
- Materials: Cast iron, Cherry wood with Urushi lacquer finish (lid knob), Stainless steel (tea strainer) Dimensions: Spout to end of handle: 25 cm Diameter: 11.5 cm Height: 9.5 cm Capacity: 0.6 L Weight: 1.3 kg
- Keywords
- kettle, teaware, teapot, ironware, cast iron
