Ryukyu Glass 琉球グラス
Posted by okinawatime on 2009/04/22
If you are interested in making a beautiful Ryukyu Glass 琉球グラス, you can craft your own hand made Ryukyu glass in the glass making lessons in Okinawa…
This gorgeous glass work, the Ryukyu glass, has become famous in Japan with a principal for an Okinawan area of expertise.
Okinawans started to manufacture the glass in the middle of the Meiji Era with Japanese influence. They started to manufacture transparent glass such as lamp chimneys, medicine bottles, and fly-catching bottles and others were made from raw materials of discarded bottles.
In fact, new crafts have even surfaced since the World War II.
After the World War II crisis, the lack of supplies for the glassmakers started using raw materials from empty soda, soft drink bottles, beer bottles, and whisky bottles, discarded from U.S. military troops and which made use recycled glass as the base for colored glassware are the secret to the success of Okinawa’s key to glassmakers.
As soon as purer compounds were more readily available, following Okinawa’s reversion to Japan in 1972, they discontinued the practice of using recycled materials that grew out of the island’s poverty following the end of World War II. However there are only few glassmakers on Okinawa who continues to use recycled glass as the base material for works of art for glassware. (One of glassmaker artist, Seikichi Inamine稲嶺誠吉who’s Okinawan and continues to use recycled bottles as the base material for his works of art and his studio called Mid-air Glass Blowing Studio Rainbow 宙吹ガラス工房 虹and is located in the Yomitan Pottery Village(map) (Address; 2723-1 Zakimi, Yomitan Village, Okinawa 904-0301)
Okinawa Glassmaker Artist, Seikichi Inamine 稲嶺誠吉
http://www.cocoro-p.com/niji/index.html
Visit story by Okinawa artist, Seikichi Inamine 稲嶺誠吉
http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/009/english/inamine/i_menu.html
While Okinawan glassware has built an amazing history, witch shows every sign of being around for many years to come. Glassmaking started when people ingenuously modernized discarded bottles into vases, bowls and other utilitarian shapes and it has improved into new techniques in manufacturing and the variety today.
Okinawan Ryukyu glass is well-known in Japan and all over the world. With hand made magnificent glasses in Okinawa it has becomes Okinawa’s main type of art sculptures. Many tourists purchase it for remembering the wonderful time they’ve had in tropical Okinawa and it is also a great gift for all occasions.
If you are interested in making a beautiful Ryukyu Glass 琉球グラス, you can craft your own hand made Ryukyu glass in the glass making lessons in Okinawa, costing only an average of $15-16 and there are many different crafting offers. There are a few places in Okinawa that you can visit or may require you to make an appointment with, to craft your own hand made Ryukyu glass from the listed below websites.
- 森のガラス館[mori no glass kan] Glass house in forest
http://www.morinogarasukan.co.jp/craft/
〒905-0005沖縄県名護市為又478番地
478 Bimata, Nago City, Okinawa 905-0005(Map to Glass house in forest 森のガラス館)
TEL 0980-54-2121
FAX 0980-54-2191
info@morinogarasukan.co.jp
- 琉球ガラス村[ryukyu glass mura] Ryukyu Glass Village
http://www.ryukyu-glass.co.jp/world/craft.jsp
〒901-0345沖縄県糸満市字福地169番地
169 Fukuchi, Itoman City, Okinawa 901-0345(Map to Ryukyu Glass village 琉球ガラス村)
TEL 098-997-4784
FAX 098-997-4944
kankou@ryukyu-glass.co.jp
- 沖縄工芸村[Okinawa kougei mura] Okinawa Craft Village
http://www.okinawa-kougeimura.com/
〒904-0411沖縄県国頭郡恩納村字恩納 6203-1番地
6203-1 Onna, Onna Village, Okinawa 904-0411(Map to Okinawa Craft Village 沖縄工芸村)
TEL 098-966-2910
FAX 098-966-2066
info@okinawa-kougeimura.com
- 恩納ガラス工房[onna glass koubou] Onna Glass Studio
http://www.ogc-okinawa.com
〒904-0413沖縄県国頭郡恩納村字冨着85番地
85 Fuchaku, Onna Village, Okinawa 904-0413(Map to Onna Glass Studio 恩納ガラス工房)
TEL 0120-34-1598
FAX 098-965-5841
info@ogc-okinawa.com
Special offer: free transportation service from Hotel to Onna glass studiohttp://www.ogc-okinawa.com/courtesy.html
