Kiriko: Japanese Glass-Cutting Technique Featuring a Kaleidoscope of Fascinating Patterns
Satsuma cut-glass boat-shaped bowl with indigo-blue overlay, 19th Century, Suntory Museum of Art, Tokyo.
Three-Tiered Cut-Glass Boxes with Lid (Edo Kiriko), 19th Century, Suntory Museum of Art, Tokyo.
Kiriko, a unique style of Japanese glass cutting, began in the 1800s when Europeans introduced glass and glass cutting to Japan. The art form originated and evolved in Satsuma (now Kagoshima) and Edo (now Tokyo), hence the names Satsuma kiriko and Edo kiriko. In fact, the Edo Kiriko Cooperative Association traces the origin of Edo kiriko to 1834, when master craftsman Kagaya Kyubei used an emery grinder to engrave the surface of a piece of glass. In Satsuma, kiriko began under Shimazu Narioki, a feudal lord. Later, his son, Shimazu Nariakira, introduced it into his Shuseikan Enterprise, a Western-style industrial enterprise. Styles in the two production centers differed.
Edo kiriko has distinctive patterns including the nanako, combining the Chinese characters for "fish" and "child," which looked like they were composed of connected drops of fish eggs. Other patterns used are yarai, a group of arrows, chrysanthemums and hemp leaves alone or in combination with nanako. A variety of products are made with these patterns such as traditional sake bottles and cups, as well as Western wine glasses, tumblers, dishware and vases.
While Edo kiriko typically features transparent and colorless glass, Satsuma kiriko features an overlay of colored glass with deeper tones and a gradient of color. Satsuma kiriko was originally developed as valuable trading goods to Europeans and was influenced by English and Dutch glassmaking techniques. The overlay of colored glass makes using the grinder when cutting more difficult. The original production was ceased in 1877 after just 31 years due to Satsuma clan’s limited financial resource and then political turmoil. The current Satsuma kiriko is a technique restored to life in 1985 by local glass artisans.
You can find extraordinary kiriko pieces at the Suntory Museum of Art and National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. Kiriko is valued by the pattern, rarity and color. Hand-cut crystal glasses with complex designs produced specifically in Koto ward of Tokyo and in Kagoshima, especially during the original Satsuma production period, are generally valued highly. You can find lovely reproductions of the antique patterns and pieces available for sale as well. Kiriko is an art piece you can appreciate in everyday life.
