
Style & Design | ON: DESIGN Jan 20, 2020
by Mio Yamada
From horizontal vases to panty-clad glasses, Japan's handmade market can offer some extraordinary gift ideas for Valentine's Day.
From horizontal vases to panty-clad glasses, Japan's handmade market can offer some extraordinary gift ideas for Valentine's Day.
Elegance from the factory floor
Striking designs can come from unusual inspirations. This month looks at designer collaborations with Japanese veteran manufacturers, including a laboratory glassware maker, and an injection mold specialist.
'Information or Inspiration?': The paths of perception
A review of "Information or Inspiration?" at the Suntory Museum of Art almost needs a spoiler alert — it includes many surprises that make it more than a showcase of glassware, lacquerware, enamel, ceramic and calligraphy works: It's an immersive, thought-provoking experience.
Edo-kiriko: A cut above the average glassware
For Ryuichi Kumakura, a 70-year-old cut-glass artisan, finding young workers eager to learn and preserve the traditional Japanese craft is the least of his troubles — showing them how to engrave exquisite pieces of glassware with precision is what matters most. Having a decent "business ...
'Kimiake & Shin-ichi Higuchi Pate de Verre Exhibition: Nature of Pate de Verre'
June 12-July 21 One of the oldest glass-working techniques, pate de verre is a complicated and time-consuming kiln method that involves pressing glass powder into a mold for casting, followed by careful cleaning and polishing. The technique originated with the ancient Mesopotamians and was given ...
The illuminating nature of Emile Galle
The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum has always had a connection with French glassware. After all, almost the first thing you see as you enter through the front entrance is a set of glass-relief doors with an angel motif. These were created by the ...
Art nouveau's jewels in the crown
As Parisians of the late 19th century reveled in the heady optimism of economic prosperity and enjoyed the innovations spurred by the ongoing Industrial Revolution, Sarah Bernhardt, the most famous actress and muse of the time, became enamored by two trendsetters: Rene Lalique, then ...
'Bohemian Glass from the Collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague'
Though stained glass was being made for church windows in Europe during the 12th century, it was not until the rise of Venetian glass makers in the 13th century that other items, such as vases and jugs, were made for the public. It was ...
'A Toast to the Drinking Glass: In History and Life'
As the title suggests, an everyday object becomes a spectacle of art and history for this exhibition, which explores the evolution of the drinking glass from primitive to modern times. With a focus on historical artworks depicting the usage of various drinking vessels for ritual ...