Milkpitcher by Seiten

The small milk pitchers made at the Seiten glass studio in Okinawa, are blown and shaped individually.

The glass craftspeople at Seiten, are led by Kiyoharu Matsuda, and work in a form of glass known as saisei glass.  Saisei literally means ‘reborn', and Matsuda takes empty drinks bottles as a raw material, to melt and recreate. Each piece is completed by hand.

In the case of these miniature jugs, the outcome is small bubbles frozen in time within the clear glass. Suitable for milk or sauces, you can spend time gazing at the individual patterns.

Okinawa is an island chain far to the south of the rest of Japan, and has a particular history in glass. The Ryukyu glass tradition produces colourful and elaborate vessels often used to drink the local awamori spirit. The Ryukyu Kingdom, extant prior to incorporation into Japan, stood at a confluence in Asia, with a distinct aesthetic tradition.

Saisei glass meanwhile has a deep connection to Okinawa’s post-war history. In the period of recovery from war, craftspeople used the materials they could find to create a new lineage in glass.  Kiyoharu Matsuda, himself a peripatetic artisan, is part of this reborn tradition from the base he established at Seiten.

The glass he makes refracts sunlight, and seem somehow to encapsulate it within the material. It is a pleasure to use.

Material: Recycled 'saisei' glass

Made in Okinawa, Japan

Size: Width 4cm x Height 5.5cm approx

Capacity: 30ml