[Edo Kiriko]

Glass was first made in Edo (present-day Tokyo) around 1711, when glass was blown using a blowpipe. It is said that faceted glass was first made completely by hand in 1834 by Kyubei Kagaya, a glass maker in Odenmacho, Edo, who engraved the surface of transparent lead glass using gold bars and emery powder, and polished it with wooden sticks and other tools. The catalogs issued by Kyubei Kagaya at that time listed a variety of products from tableware and other daily necessities to scientific and chemical supplies and goldfish bowls, and more glass products were distributed in the market than we can imagine during the Edo period. The techniques and history cultivated in those days have been handed down to the present day as "Edo Kiriko."

In the Meiji era (1868-1912), Emanuel Hoptman was invited from England to teach faceting, and modern glass craft techniques were established. Since then, faceting has flourished as a result of research into materials, the development of polishing techniques, and the popularization of glassware, and Edo Kiriko was finally designated as a traditional craft industry by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1985, and as a traditional craft by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2002. The company has been recognized as a traditional handicraft industry by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government since 1985.

Japanese people have long been conscious of light and shadow and have skillfully incorporated them into their daily lives. For example, they used eaves and shoji screens to soften the sun's rays and bring them into the room, as well as transoms. This is probably because they had a high sensitivity to find beauty in the shades of light and shadow. Deep grooves refract the path of light, thin lines reflect it, and sometimes frosted glass softens it. Edo Kiriko is filled with techniques that can only be expressed by those who know the beauty created by light.

Hirota Glass's Futachoko is a modern and gorgeous glass with a gently rounded lid and a stylish arrangement of traditional patterns. The bottom and the edge of the glass are covered with light patterns, and the lid can be used as a saucer or a small plate. Currently on display at the Wakamatsu Showroom, it is linked to the stained glass ceiling of the Ueno Building and the red Wakato Ohashi Bridge, making its appearance even more beautiful. Please take a look at it when you visit our store.

Hirota Glass's Edo Kiriko "Futachoko" (Yaegiku and Niju-Yarai are also in stock)
https://www.shokunin.com/en/hirota/futachoko.html
Wakamatsu Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/wakamatsu.html

References
https://www.edokiriko.net/whatis
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/江戸切子