Posted 10 years ago
racer4four
(586 items)
This large and heavy piece of crystal was designed and executed by Kyoichiro Kawakami, recognised as one of Japan's great crystal designers.
Born in 1933 Kawakami studied at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music (1953-56) and then started working in advertising. In 1963 Kawakami took up glassmaking, joining the design department of Hoya Glass (where he worked until 1986) and studying at glass factories in Sweden and Finland in 1965. As in other Japanese craft-based factories, at Hoya Kawakami was able to design both production wares and unique pieces.
He was part of the team that designed pieces for Hoya's Museum Crystal series, and this sculpture shows some influence from that work.
The unusual design of this object, with a rounded blown well inside a cut and polished block, was indicated in some of the Hoya Museum Crystal pieces.
However Kawakami has gone much further with the cutting, making the block an elongated diamond and cutting multiple lines on two sides.
Every part of this piece has been cut and polished, except for the rounded pocket.
I'm sorry my photos are not good here, because in any light huge amounts of prismatic rays are cast, and it takes on a whole life.
I am very lucky to have found this piece!
Signed to the base.
Height 17cm width 16cm weight 4.2kg
These three pieces are amazing Karen....so much more than what we think of as 'cut crystal' Once again it all comes back to the designer.....I simply adore this one!!!
I agree with sklo42 simply amazing work ! :)
Wow!!!!.. How unusual..it's just beautiful!!!!..well done, I could easily live with this piece of glass!...:-)
What a weird & wonderful thing. It must play with light in all sorts of ways. Great info too, as always, have you ever considered writing a book or have a web page? :)
Love, love, LOVE it!!!
stunning,stunning,stunning!!!!
OMG! I want to fly to Australia just to hold this one!!!
Thanks Peggy. Good crystal is so under rated. This is a fantastic piece, but a love or hate item. Glad it's a love for you.
Thanks Mike...your a love too!
And Inky! Thanks.
Fran...weird and wonderful is right. A book? Nah. ...
Thanks thanks thanks Kyra!
Ditto ditto ditto Sean!
Visit anytime William.......thanks.
very beautiful and unusual - "Sculpture in the headphones."
This brought a smile to my face Karen :) Such a different and lovely piece!! With its many "windows" and angle, pic 4 it reminds me of the Flatiron building in NYC...
Sergey I see the headphones! Thanks
I'll have to look the NY building up now Rick. Thanks!
An amazing piece of work. I bet you could sit and stare at it for hours in wonder.
It looks architectural to me! It reminds me of a building.
I can see that too Kevin!
Thanks