Fuku Japanese Cast Iron Teapot!!!

Seeing as this blog is a place for me to simply share my thoughts and inspirations as they relate to design, I thought what better way to get my blog up and rolling then share my object of design for the first project! Exciting I know!

So let's start with what this thing is and why I chose it. Hopefully just by looking at the picture you realize that my object is a teapot, but it isn't just any teapot... NO! This teapot is a Fuku Japanese Cast Iron Teapot! It already sounds awesome I know, but just wait it gets better. This teapot was designed by Ken Okuyama! You don't know who Ken Okuyama is? Oh, well he is just a simple guy, doing simple things, while also designing Porsches, Ferraris, and Maseratis!

Yes, you read that correctly. The man who designed this little teapot is the same guy who designs some of the most expensive cars you can find on the market (if you knew how much this teapot cost me, you probably wouldn't be quite so suprised that he designed it anymore). I spent a pretty penny buying this teapot, and while I still think back and question what exactly got me to shell out the cash for this thing, I'm glad I did as it was certainly worth it.

Now that you know a bit of the backstory on my teapot and why I bought it, let's talk a bit more seriously about why I chose it for the project. The main reasons I chose it come straight from "Dieter Rams: ten principles for good design" When I read through these principles, this teapot came to my mind instantly as it fits almost all the principles.
•The product is useful: The cast iron body holds your tea perfectly, while keeping it warm longer
•The product is aesthetic: it has a very simple beauty that is very complimentary to the tea drinking experience
•The product is understandable: I think this sort of explains itself... it's just a teapot
•The product is unobtrusive: It's small and simple, taking up absolutely no more space then it needs to
•The product is honest: Again, it's a teapot... just a teapot
•The Product is long-lasting: It's made of cast iron so this little guy was made to last a lifetime
•The Product is environmentally friendly: cast iron and tea... let's not make this more complicated then it is
•The product is as little design as possible: Just look at it!
And honestly it probably fits into the two principles I didn't list as well, just not as prominently.

So more or less that's a sort of overview of my teapot and why I chose it as my object of design. After hearing a few basic things about this particular teapot I personally find the rest kind of speaks for itself (another reason why I chose it)!