Kimiko Yasuda is a rising star in the world of kiriko, the cut-glass technique which is an ancient tradition first developed in the seventeenth century. In the making of kiriko, crystal glass is handblown into molds. An artisan blows a thin layer of colored glass into the mold and then a clear glass layer so that the layers attach. When it is cooled, Kimiko begins the kiriko cut-glass process in a design that balances color and clear glass. Using a diamond wheel and/or a whetstone wheel, she makes delicate, detailed cuts by hand, revealing gradations of color and light. Finally, she polishes the glass by hand, which takes twice as long as the cutting process, for a shiny, sharp finish, resulting in jewel-like glass that sparkles and radiates with colored light.
Suji Magenta Crystal Rock Glass
BY Kimiko Yasuda
$590 USD
Based in Osaka, Japan, glass artisan Kimiko Yasuda hand blows, cuts and polishes jewel-like crystal glasses using the kiriko method, the traditional Japanese cut glass technique. Yasuda makes detailed cuts by hand, which reveal different layers of color, and polishes the glass for a shiny, sharp finish. For these glasses, she makes the cuts deeper and thicker at the bottom to allow more light through the colored glass.Â
