History of Kiriko and Satsuma Kiriko
The first cut glass was made in Osaka in the middle of Edo Period, and soon it became well known in Edo (now Tokyo) as well. The people started to call it as Edo Kiriko, allude to japanese cut glass style.
In the late of Edo period, the industry was booming and the influence of Edo Kiriko got stronger and an other clan called Satsuma(now Kagoshima prefecture), started to make colored transparent cut glass. That was the Satsuma Kiriko.
Satsuma Kiriko had the skill and sense to find the taste what Japanese people like the most and they made very high level products. However they could not survive for a long time in the disordered of Tokugawa period.
They have been forgotten for many years, but the top craftsmen of glass art have started to review the legacy of Satsuma Kiriko in the end of 20 century, and it is ressurected again.
Main characterisitic of Satsuma Kiriko is the Bokashi (gradation), which appears after polishing carefully the material.
What’s Bokashi? It is one of the technique of cut glass. The color of glass gets thinner as thickend glass is polished. The deeper it’s polished, the thinner color becomes. The gradation of color could be changed by polisihing.This was the only technique Satuma had. As well as this Bokashi, deep cutting is also the great attractiveness of Satsuma Kiriko.
Please Note:
All products are made in Takumi cut glass factory. The products made by craftsman Takumi Takahashi, is described as it is.
Kimiko Yasuda is the number one disciple of Takumi. She received many prizes in Japanese exhibition. |