Handcrafted Japanese Carved Crystal Glass - Satsuma Kiriko
In this video, we head to Kagoshima, Japan to visit a friend who is a master glass maker in the style of Satsuma Kiriko. The company called Satuma Vidro was founded in 1994 and came to fame after being designated a Kagoshima Traditional Craft. However, due to financial troubles the company had to come up with something completely different. In 2006, the company, under the insistence of the CEO, developed a black crystal glass which had never been made in Japan. Black is a traditional and common color used in Kagoshima and therefore it was only natural to try make black crystal glass. After successfully creating black crystal glass, the artisans had to carve it. The thought of carving a dark colored glass seemed impossible and many of the artisans said that it wouldn't work. However, due to muscle memory the artisans were able to carve the black crystal based solely on feel. This new black crystal glass helped to bring the company out of financial difficulty.
The origins of Satsuma Kiriko starts over 200 years ago when the Shimadzu family of the Satsuma Samurai clan sought a way to store acidic medicines. In an effort to also build industry and attract art and trade, the Shimadzu family, invited artisans from Edo, Japan (former Tokyo) to show the locals how to make Edo Kiriko. Edo Kiriko was a luxury item reserved for the wealth. Edo Kiriko tends to be thinner and more delicate in feel and look. When Satsuma Kiriko was developed, the techniques and styling was modified. The Shimadzu family wanted to show their power and influence by further developing their own version of Kiriko and presenting it to foreign dignitaries and Japanese royalty. In this way, Satsuma Kiriko became an item reserved for the powerful elite. The history of this glass was very short at that time, having only 20 years of production over 200 years ago, making Satsuma Kiriko a very rare and unique item. Approximately 30 years ago, Satsuma Kiriko was brought back by local artisans making the history of Satsuma Kiriko a short 50 years.
You can buy Satsuma Kiriko in several places throughout Japan, but many of the more unique pieces are only available if you travel to the area. There are museums and displays available in Kagoshima that explain the history of Satsuma Kiriko. We recommend visiting the Shimadzu Family house (Sengan-en) in Kagoshima to learn more about the origins of this traditional Japanese craft.
Please visit their website to see examples of the glass work. www.satuma-vidro.co.jp/
Special Thanks to:
Mr. Etsuo Samejima
Videography:
K. Yamashita / G. Leopardi
Film Editor:
K. Yamashita
Cameras Used:
Olympus OMD EM-1 Mark III - HD (4k Video)
Sony ZV-1 - Vlogging Camera - HD (4k Video)