Iconic anime Mobile Suit Gundam has featured quite a few amazing designs, but that of the MS-06 Zaku II seems to have a natural affinity for being turned into just about any type of merchandise, including beach balls and even Gundam tofu.

So it was only a matter of time before the Zaku's classic look was incorporated into the "Discovery-G" series, a collaborative effort between Akihabara's Gundam Cafe and artisans around Japan to combine traditional Japanese crafts and Gundam (such as Japanese traditional lacquerware).

Their latest collaboration does just that, this time in the form of a Nanbu Tetsubin cast iron kettle shaped like a Zaku's head.

Nanbu tetsubin are cast iron kettles made using Nanbu tekki (Nanbu ironware), the traditional craft and pride and joy of Iwate prefecture that is said to have a 900-year history. This particular project saw the Gundam Cafe and Bandai team up with craftsmen from Oshu City to recreate the head of a Zaku using the renowned techniques of the region.

As you can see, they've succeeded in doing so from all angles! This is probably the perfect kettle for brewing tea or cooking instant noodles for Gundam fans

And quite a bit of effort went into it as well.

The Zaku Tetsubin is available to order from Premium Bandai's online store in Japan, and will later be available for purchase at the Gundam Cafe as well as Gundam Square stores. While no international release has been announced yet, those interested can keep an eye out at Premimum Bandai's international websites.