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.
Style & Design | ON: DESIGN Jul 28, 2019
Elegance from the factory floor
by Mio Yamada
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.
Art May 21, 2019
'Information or Inspiration?': The paths of perception
by Mio Yamada
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.
Art Jan 7, 2018
Edo-kiriko: A cut above the average glassware
by Mai Iida
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 ...
Art / Openings Outside Tokyo Jun 7, 2016
'Kimiake & Shin-ichi Higuchi Pate de Verre Exhibition: Nature of Pate de Verre'
by Megan Green
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 ...
Art Mar 29, 2016
The illuminating nature of Emile Galle
by C.B. Liddell
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 Aug 4, 2015
Art nouveau's jewels in the crown
by Mio Yamada
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 ...
Art / Openings In Tokyo Jul 31, 2014
'Bohemian Glass from the Collection of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague'
by Daisuke Kikuchi
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 ...
Art / Openings In Tokyo Sep 11, 2013
'A Toast to the Drinking Glass: In History and Life'
by Jordan Sievers
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 ...