Dou Chu is a traditional Hiroshima craft that dates back more than 300 years. Using traditional techniques, artisans transform copper plates into objects such as flower vases, decorative plates, tea ceremony utensils, and stationery from copper. They start by shaping the copper into the desired form using a hammer, then hammer patterns into the surface. Finally, they smoke the object and polish it with rice straw. These processes give Don Chu products a uniquely iridescent dark brown color that deepens and becomes even more lustrous with age.