Oigen tetsu kyusu for Joyce Chen

This tetsu kyusu is 2.75" high x 5" in diameter, minus lid, handle and spout. It weighs 2.5 lbs, has the Oigen mark on the bottom and a "Joyce Chen Japan" sticker on the bottom. The original infuser came with the pot and holds 16 ounces of water. I have used this pot several times and I think it holds about 16 ounces, but didn't measure it for this post. Images from another old example of this pot also has a Joyce Chen $99.99 price tag in addition to the label. This pot is still being imported by JC but the price tag is now $116 plus tax and shipping. I paid my Mr. Scrooge price for mine.

I have had this kyusu for for quite awhile and thought that I had posted it to CW, but cannot find it so posting it (again?). I guess there is the chance that I accidentally deleted it at some point, but I could not find images for it in my files, so must have been hallucinating again.

This was an important kyusu for me. After quite a bit of searching, I found an identical pot, colored yellow, with copious Oigen documentation and the same maker's mark for sale, brand new, in an on line auction. This allowed me to identify the maker of not only my pot, but of the majority, if not all, of the kyusu imported by Joyce Chen Inc. It also led me to learning about and identifying the Oitomi Foundry and mark. Oitomi and Oigen were founded by the Oikawa family in 1848 and 1852, respectively, and their marks have similarities. I first tried contacting JC for help in identifying the maker of this pot and didn't get much help.

https://www.booniehicks.com/oitomi-cast-iron/

https://www.booniehicks.com/oigen-cast-iron/

Personally, I found this kyusu a bit awkward to use, not especially ergonomic and a bit bulky. That being said, it appears to be a good seller as Oigen is still making it.