Can anyone help with identifying who made these teapots?

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wheelerwerks
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:26 pm

My family has had a teapot for decades, but it has become quite damaged through heavy use. Using google lens, I found a similar one on Ebay, but it is different enough to make me think this has been made more than once by whatever company makes it. No matter how much I search, I can't seem to find more, or learn anything about it, so I figured this forum was not a bad place to try.
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If anyone knows anything about these, or can give me recommendations for how to search for them, it would be much appreciated. I wouldn't be surprised if they're just massed produced pieces, but if they are, I don't know why it is so difficult to find them online. Thanks so much just for taking the time to look, it is greatly appreciated!
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pedant
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:53 pm

hey, welcome to the forum.

i think it's a hard thing to ID because it's probably mass produced in many variations, and there aren't super distinguishing characteristics. i feel like i've seen things that are similar a bunch of times in department stores over the years both in the US and in japan.

are you just looking for a new teapot? i feel like a lot of teapots could functionally replace yours (any large teapot suitable for western-style brewing), but idk if there's something specific you're looking for. i get that there is probably a sentimental factor.
wheelerwerks
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 4:46 pm

I'm trying to figure out who the manufacturer is as I'm hoping to find a more exact replacement of the original. It was a wedding gift to my parents about 45 years ago, and I'm hoping to surprise them with a replacement, hence my dedicated search.

Also, I'm quite glad I found this forum, I'm a big tea drinker, and there is a lot of useful information here for various teas, which I value as I'm always trying to refine my methods for each varietal.
rdl
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 5:28 pm

It looks like on sold on ebay. Maybe you can contact the seller grey1005 and ask if s/he has more information.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/265925623152?c ... 1&mkcid=28
wheelerwerks
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 6:41 pm

That ebay one is the newer one that I have, I was the buyer. The seller buys close outs from estates sales and things like that, they don't know any more about it than I do.
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Bok
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:17 pm

Seems to be a Japanese piece, I was just recently served out of one of these in a nice restaurant in Tokyo. The tea that came after the meal with the dessert. Did you try google image search or something like that?
wheelerwerks
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:43 pm

Yes, google image search is what led me to that ebay sale, but I have not found anything else remotely similar through it. I knew it was a Japanese piece because it was from my aunt and uncle who were living in Japan at the time. Unfortunately the only person who would know more is my aunt, and she is no longer with us.
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Bok
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:04 pm

wheelerwerks wrote:
Thu Mar 16, 2023 7:43 pm
Yes, google image search is what led me to that ebay sale, but I have not found anything else remotely similar through it. I knew it was a Japanese piece because it was from my aunt and uncle who were living in Japan at the time. Unfortunately the only person who would know more is my aunt, and she is no longer with us.
Looks like this is the same(just the lighting is off in the pictures):
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1321509719 ... la=1&gao=1&

And a pretty good price for the set!
wheelerwerks
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 8:43 pm

Thanks! That is definitely the same shape as the one I got on ebay, and a similar pattern (I'm starting to think no two are the same) I'm going to reach out to the seller to see if they know any more about it.
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Victoria
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Thu Mar 16, 2023 11:12 pm

Is there a stamp/signature/label under the handle, spout, lid or bottom of kyusu? Larger top-handled kyusu are called Uwade kyusu or Dobin (上手急須,- 土瓶) used for larger gatherings and or Bancha, Hojicha teas.
wheelerwerks
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Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:25 am

No, I've searched everywhere on both pieces and can find no makers mark of any kind.
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Victoria
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Fri Mar 17, 2023 2:01 am

Sometimes the search for something in the past, can open doors to something new.

Seems you already found a replacement that’s pretty similar to original. Maybe a limited mass production with decoration partially manually applied using stencils.
I did something similar for my parents- found on eBay an unused top of the line 1950 Italian pressure cooker, exactly the one they received as a wedding gift in Chicago in 1950. Mom used that pressure cooker continuously since they were married, and it held up amazingly well, but was on its last legs after 65 years. Anyway, I was more impressed with finding the same pot than mom was, seems by the time I got it for her she had moved onto another simpler way of cooking, more in line with her age.
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mbanu
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Fri Mar 17, 2023 3:05 pm

Following the provenance of the Ebay pot might help. See if you can get the seller to mention whose estate sale the pot was from. Some sellers won't want to say, while others are OK with this. Then, contact relatives and ask about if they remember the pot and where it came from. This can be an awkward thing for many people, but as you have the same pot and it is in the family, you can use shared experiences of older relatives of each family using this pot as a common bond. (Keeping in mind that sometimes everything ends up at an estate sale due to negative memories.)

If you are lucky, they can point you to where it was originally bought. Then, try to find out where the merchant bought it- often this is from businesses that are out of business, but businesses are run by people. If they are still alive, they will likely be pleased that something they sold had such a hold on others. If they are not, their relatives may still have records that will hold the clues you want.

Following provenance is incredibly tedious, but the end results might get you to where you want to be.
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