The Japanese beautiful Jewel-like cut glass “EDO KIRIKO”
The Edo period of Japanese history was about 180 years ago, and a huge number of the most beautiful crafts that were created during this time as still being taught and created in certain special parts of Japan. One type is called EDO KIRIKO, and is a type of cut glass.
This way of making cut glass was created by the Japanese artist Kyubei Kagaya, who experimented with different ways of working with glass to create this particular design. When Japan started to open up more to the Western world, more people began to realize that EDO KIRIKO was an astounding way to create beauty in glass, and EDO KIRIKO began to become popular in areas beyond the traditional ways of Japan.
This movement of information has gone both ways, as EDO KIRIKO artisans have learned more about Western glass cutting techniques. Combined, the EDO KIRIKO method of glass cutting has taken the very best from both Japanese and Western cultures, and the main characteristics that can be seen within this technique are the Japanese patterns: chrysanthemums, and the hemp leaf.
When you look at a piece of EDO KIRIKO cut glass that has been made by a master, it is hard to believe that it is only glass! They look a little more like jewels, or flowers that have formed from precious gemstones. There is not a single piece of EDO KIRIKO that is not made by hand, and although more than one hundred years of skill goes into each design, there are always modern twists. Wherever you go in Tokyo you may be able to see an EDO KIRIKO artisan at work.
Manufacturing process of crystal glassware
It takes not one, not two, but over twenty different processes before the glassware product is complete; from the preparation of the materials and the tools, to shaping and cutting, through to polishing and other processes. No one can be completely skilled at all of these, so one piece of glass will move from person to person as they collaborate together to create something of true beauty.
You will start with the choosing of the glass materials, to ensure that the glass will be of the highest quality. Then the materials are melted together, in a furnace that could reach temperatures beyond 1400 degrees Celsius. The molten glass will be removed on a stainless steel blowpipe, and it will get larger the more glass is added onto it. After the glass has been shaped into the design that they want, the glass has to be cooled over several hours so that it does not cool too quickly, and crack.
Now the cutting process must begin. This is done incredibly slowly so as to make sure that every detail is done perfectly and accurately, and one small mistake could mean that the whole process has to be started all over again. Different cuts will make different designs, and diamonds are used for precision and mastery.
Japanese gifts that are unique
Only the highest quality items created in Japan from Japanese designs are chosen for ALEXCIOUS which is the destination for special gifts.
If you are looking to experience a fun learning journey, and find the best products and art that is on offer from Japan, then you should be on ALEXCIOUS, the website that champions the very best. Learn more about the passion, art, and effort that goes into creating every single beautiful object in the range, and discover items that you never could have imagined existed. Premium shopping and appreciation is central to what ALEXCIOUS really is.
The country of Japan is proud of its over thousand years’ worth of history and tradition, and is still a country that blends the fantastic elements of modern life with the customs and traditions of its ancestors. Labeled as one of the central civilizations of the world by the American political scientist Samuel P. Huntington in his work The Clash of Civilizations, Japan has continued to surprise and amaze the world with their fantastic inventions.
Some of the world’s best ever artists have come from Japan, as skills and techniques of the ages are passed down from master to student. With each new era, Japan has been able to adapt to the world’s expectations, creating items that people fall in love with – and the manufacturing industry in Japan has always expanded to match this. Second only to the US in scale, the expertise in Japan is completely unparalleled.
Designs and technologies, ideas and innovations, concepts and people: all of the best are found here in Japan. Reaching into this pool of talent and utilizing the plethora of knowledge that they contain will always bring excitement and joy to you, as we harness their knowledge to create beautiful objects. The power of the Internet now brings these jewels right to your door, and that means that they are now within your grasp.
