Ironworking Technology
RAKUTEI optional single-flower vases and hand candles are handmade by blacksmiths using their ironworking skills. The blacksmithing technique, which makes hard metal look supple, is a traditional Japanese profession as a blacksmith. In Japan, it is said that the blacksmith’s work has been handed down from the time of the Taika-no-Kaishin（645） period.
The metal is heated to shape. The heat is about 1000°C. To produce the high temperature, a fuel called coke is used. Coke is a carbonaceous solid fuel produced by steaming (dry distillation) coal at a high temperature of about 1200°C. Coke is used in a variety of industries as an energy source and reducing agent in steelmaking, casting, forging, incinerators, and heating.
It is formed by beating hot metal into shape. Beating eliminates gaps between solids to form one strong solid, and also allows the metal to be easily changed into various shapes while it is still hot.
Using a special dedicated jig, the metal is bent little by little. After repeating the process many times to form the metal into a circular shape, it is stretched to complete the iron vase for a single flower. In this way, an original, one-of-a-kind vase is completed through the experience and intuition of the blacksmith.
