Satsuma Kiriko Sakurajima Sake Cup Pair

Vivid colors, unique sparkle
The luxury of using the legendary Satsuma Kiriko


A reproduction of the gradation created by double-glazing
At the end of the Edo period, the lord of the Satsuma domain encouraged the production of Satsuma Kiriko to revive the industry. However, it was swept up in the turbulent waves of history, such as the Anglo-Satsuma War, and production ceased after just over 20 years. Modern Satsuma Kiriko was born from the reproduction of this legendary Satsuma Kiriko.

Satsuma Kiriko is made by blowing colored glass, then pushing clear glass inside it, creating a double layer of glass with advanced techniques, and then carving delicate patterns into the surface. The texture is heavy and solid, and even feels warm. The soft gradation of the cut parts, which is created because the colored glass is thick, is a beauty unique to Satsuma Kiriko.

The fact that each one is handmade and has a different color makes it even more special. This sake cup is a little small, making it easy for women to hold.

He studied Satsuma Kiriko,
Modern craftsmanship restored
The long-lost Satsuma Kiriko technique was revived in the 1980s. It was the determination and skills of many glass craftsmen who inherited the spirit of Shimazu Nariakira, the feudal lord of Satsuma, who studied the documents of the time and strongly promoted glass manufacturing in an attempt to strengthen the industry of the Satsuma domain. Among them, Satsuma Bidro Kogei aims to faithfully reproduce Satsuma Kiriko from that time.

Satsuma Kiriko is characterized by its color. It is said that the craftsmen put their heart and soul into reproducing the vividly colored glass of Satsuma red glass, which attracted worldwide attention. Today, they produce products in even more vivid colors, such as gold purple and yellow, which are rare for colored glass. The difficulty of Satsuma Kiriko lies in the process of blowing two pieces of glass together to make them adhere to each other.

At Satsuma Bidorokogei, we start by manufacturing the crystal glass that is the base of the product. It takes true craftsmanship to not only bond the glass, which has different expansion and contraction rates, without damaging it, but also to maintain a consistent thickness that is neither too thick nor too thin.

They also produce two-color Satsuma Kiriko, with different colored glass on the top and bottom. Thirty years after its restoration, we look forward to seeing new Satsuma Kiriko born from flexible ideas.

Material: Glass
Size: Diameter 7.4 x Height 4.3 cm
Weight: 120g

Please note that strong impacts may result in damage.