What Are Kan? The Kettle Rings in Japanese Tea Ceremony

Quick answer: kan (鐶) are the pair of iron rings used to lift and move the kama during charcoal procedure in chanoyu. They are inserted through the kettle’s side lugs, called kantsuki, when the host needs to raise the hot kettle from the ro or furo. Omotesenke lists them among the standard tools carried in the sumitori.

What are kan?

Kan are detachable kettle rings.

Unlike a permanently fixed handle, they are separate tools brought in for charcoal procedure and used when the kama must be lifted or repositioned.

Why are there two rings?

Because the kettle has a pair of side attachment points.

Each ring is fitted through one kantsuki, allowing the host to lift the heavy iron kama symmetrically.

What are kantsuki?

Kantsuki are the projecting lugs on the sides of a tea kettle.

Urasenke’s Tea Research Museum describes them as the parts through which the rings are passed when the kettle is lifted. Kantsuki can themselves be decorative, with forms inspired by animals, masks or other motifs.

Why not leave the rings on the kettle?

Because they are working tools for moving the kama, not permanent handles.

During ordinary heating, the kettle sits over the fire without a large carrying handle arching above it. The rings are introduced when needed and returned to the charcoal-tool set afterward.

Are kan open rings?

Typically, yes.

The open or nearly open ring form allows the host to pass each ring through a kettle lug while still producing a secure circular grip once engaged.

What are they made from?

Iron is the traditional material.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art preserves Japanese iron kettle rings from around 1775, each about 7.6 cm in diameter. Their simple form reflects the practical metalwork of the fire side of chanoyu.

Are all kettle rings plain?

No.

Some are smooth and restrained, while others show hammering or subtle surface treatment. As with many charcoal utensils, the object can remain functional while still showing the maker’s hand.

How are kan used during sumidemae?

The exact sequence depends on school and procedure, but the basic purpose is consistent:

• the host needs access to the fire,
• the hot kama must be lifted away,
• the rings are engaged with the kantsuki,
• the kettle is moved to a safe temporary resting place,
• the fire is rebuilt or adjusted,
• the kama is returned.

Where does the kama go after it is lifted?

Onto a kamashiki, the kettle rest used to protect the tatami or floor surface from the hot iron.

This makes kan and kamashiki a natural pair: one moves the kettle; the other receives it.

How do kan relate to sumitori?

Omotesenke lists kettle rings among the standard utensils carried in the sumitori together with charcoal, hibashi, kamashiki, kogo and haboki.

The sumitori therefore contains not only the tools for building the fire, but also the tools needed to temporarily remove the kettle from it.

Are kan the same as the ring on a kettle lid?

No.

A lid may have its own small knob or ring, but that is unrelated to the pair of large detachable rings used to lift the entire kettle.

Are kan used with every type of kettle setup?

They are especially important whenever the host needs to move a heavy kama during charcoal procedure.

Exact handling can differ with suspended kettles, sukigi-supported kettles and other seasonal arrangements, so practical instruction should follow the school being practised.

How heavy is a kama when full?

Potentially very heavy.

A cast-iron kettle plus several liters of hot water makes safe lifting a serious practical matter. The ring-and-lug system lets the host move the kettle without grasping the hot iron body directly.

Why are the rings so small compared with the kettle?

Because they do not need to span the kettle.

They simply provide handholds at the two side lugs. Their compact size also lets them fit neatly into the sumitori when not in use.

Can guests inspect kan?

Depending on procedure and school, charcoal utensils can become objects of appreciation, but kan are primarily working tools.

As with hibashi and kamashiki, their aesthetic value grew as charcoal procedure itself moved from backstage preparation into the guest-facing art of chanoyu.

Do you need kan for home matcha?

No.

They become necessary only when using a traditional iron kama that must be lifted during charcoal procedure.

Kan in one sentence

Kan are the detachable iron rings of chanoyu, passed through the side lugs of the kama so the host can safely lift and move the hot kettle during sumidemae.

Sources and further reading

• Omotesenke — Sumitori and kettle rings
• Urasenke Tea Research Museum — Kama and kantsuki
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Ring to lift kettle, ca. 1775

Header image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Japanese iron ring for lifting a kettle, ca. 1775. Public Domain under The Met Open Access program.