It is no exaggeration to say that when it comesto Edo faceting, Bori Sho Yamada Glass is the best. There are many workshops that deal in Edo faceting, and some people may not know which one to choose when they want to buy a product. Bori Sho Yamada Glass is a long-established studio that has been in business for over 80 years, with its founder, Eiichiro Yamada, and its three generations, Tomonobu Yamada I, Teruo, and Masateru. Their skillful techniques have been passed down from generation to generation. This article describes the history of Boryosho Yamada Glass and the characteristics of its techniques.

About Boryakusho Yamada Glass

Bori Sho Yamada Glass is a glass studio that handles Edo faceting.Edo faceting is a glass craft made in Tokyo. Faceted glass means cut glass, and because of its beauty, it is still popular today, especially for glassware.

Originally, it was a craft in which a pattern was added to the surface of colorless transparent glass, but as technology improved, Edo faceting using colored glass came to be produced in large numbers. Today, many people recognize that Edo faceting is made by cutting blue or red glass.

Edo faceting is characterized by its gorgeous and unique cut engraved designs. The pattern is drawn by the use of different tools. Since there are no preliminary drawings, the thickness, depth, and balance of the lines vary depending on the experience of the craftsman. For this reason, it is said that one can tell which craftsman’s work is his just by looking at it.

Yamada Glass, which claims to be a glass artisan

There are many workshops in Japan that deal in Edo faceting. However, Yamada Glass is the only one that claims to be a glass artisan.

Boriis one of the seven treasuresin Buddhism.In modern times, the seven treasures aregold, silver,lapis lazuli,glass, giant clam shells,coral, andagate.

The word “glass” came from China during the Heian period (794-1192). At that time, Japan could make glass beads but not glass tableware, which was imported as a luxury item. Therefore, boli has a strong image of being a treasure. The works of Yamada Glass, which sings “Bori Sho” (glass artisans), are all luxury items and are truly treasures.

History of Yamada Glass

In the early Meiji period, Emmanuelle Hoptman was invited to Japan to introduce Western glass cutting techniques to Japan. Here, heintroduced Western-style cutting techniques using rotary tools. At that time, more than a dozen Japanese were under the guidance of Mr. Hoptmann. One of them issaid to be Eitaro Yamada, the founder of Yamada Glass.

Inheriting the techniques and traditions, Yamada Glass has continued to refine the Edo faceting and flower faceting techniques to the present day, and as a result of further evolution, continues to produce new works even today.

In recent years, the company has been actively holding exhibitions both in Japan and abroad, and its elegantly and delicately designed glass works are attracting attention as art. Because of the beauty of their works, they are increasingly being handled in corporate commercials and in the media.

Three representative designs of Bori Sho Yamada Glass

The craftsmanship of Bori Sho Yamada Glass, inherited and refined by Eitaro Yamada, has produced original designs. It is said that there are few workshops that have craftsmen who can handle both Edo faceting and hana-kiriko (flower faceting) techniques for three generations. The beautiful patterns created by these master craftsmen are the essence of Boryakusho Yamada Glass. Here we introduce three representative designs of Bori Sho Yamada Glass.

Hana-kiriko (flower faceting)” unique to Bori Shokuho Yamada Glass

The main characteristic of Yamada Glass is “Hanakiriko” (flower faceting). Hana-kiriko is an impressive technique of softness and gentleness, based on the Edo faceting technique. In general, Edo faceting is done by cutting straight lines and polishing the glass to make it shine, resulting in a crisp appearance. Hana-kiriko, on the other hand, is characterized by softly scraping the surface and adding blurring. By not polishing perfectly but leaving shadows in the finish, fragility and gentleness can be expressed. Even when cutting a single pattern, multiple tools are skillfully used to create a unique texture and the beauty of curves. By processing glass more delicately, we design the movement of life peculiar to nature, such as plants and animals.

Enjigiri,” a lucky connection that makes use of traditional patterns.

Yamada Glass’s signature “Entsunagi” piece is breathtaking in its delicacy. The technique of decorating the entire surface with Edo Kiriko’s thin chrysanthemum joints and polishing the margins into a circular shape is a design unique to Yamada Glass. The chain of lines and circles expresses “past, present, and future” and the connection of “people, things, and affairs,” and is said to be auspicious. When you hold it up to the light, the pattern on the other side is reflected from the circle, creating a more detailed pattern that jumps out at you. Depending on the angle of view, the connection between the perspective patterns changes, creating a work of art that is even more delicate and deep, a true gem. Because of its unique and beautiful characteristics, this technique has been adopted by beverage manufacturers as the design for their plastic bottles.

Seigaiha (blue ocean waves)”wishing for eternal future and peaceful life

The “Seigaiha” motif is one of Yamada Glass’s most popular representative designs. The shape is characterized by the scaled arrangement of overlapping semicircular shapes to represent waves.Seigaiha is said to be one of the most auspicious patterns, as it is associated with “a wish for eternity and a peaceful life in the future in the endless calm waves.The wave pattern is finely engraved in the gaps between the straight cuts of Edo faceting using the Hana-kiriko technique. The blurring technique unique to Hana-kiriko produces a wave pattern with a different expression that can only be achieved by hand. Because of the random cutting by hand, no two pieces are alike, which is another reason why this piece is so popular and special.

Bori Sho Yamada Glass’s works in your daily life.

The products made by Boryosho Yamada Glass, whether in the Internet store or in stores, are all for everyday use, such as drinking glasses and rocks glasses. The craftsman’s wish is that his products should be incorporated into daily life and make it more colorful, rather than just being a luxury item for decoration. This is why the workshop has become so loved and supported by people from overseas and the younger generation. As a workshop that is evolving while refining traditional techniques and creating new designs, we cannot take our eyes off of Bori Sho Yamada Glass in the future.

Boryakusho Yamada Glass official website
Boryakusho Yamada Glass Online Shop