Edo Kiriko: Two Perspectives on the World of Japanese Cut Glass

This event brings together Edo kiriko artist Toru Horiguchi and British glass historian Sally Haden to discuss the tradition from their own perspectives. Examining it from both the past and the present, they will highlight the particular characteristics of this very Japanese craft which was built on techniques brought from the UK, and offer an insight into the work of those who seek to preserve it for future generations.

The evening will unfold through a series of conversations, a video of Horiguchi at work in his studio and a display of Edo kiriko glassware.

Toru Horiguchi is a third generation master craftsman in the Edo kiriko tradition. He joined the Horiguchi Glass Company in 1999 to study under Tomio Suda. He succeeded to the title of shuseki (designating master craftsman status) in 2008 and left Horiguchi Glass to set up his own company, Horiguchi Kiriko. He was recognised by the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries in 2012 as a leading proponent of Edo kiriko. He is a regular exhibitor and prize winner in shows featuring Japanese traditional crafts and glassware, such as TOKYO CRAFTS & DESIGN where his collaboration with Yoh Komiyama on Edo Kiriko Ring was awarded the Grand Design Prize. In 2015, Horiguchi featured in the Cut-Glass Accents exhibition at the Embassy of Japan in London.

Sally Haden is a glass historian who has a particular interest in the Shinagawa Glassworks of Tokyo which transformed Japan’s glass industry, 1873-1884. Since the discovery ten years ago that one of the four British men who assisted there was her Scottish great grandfather, James Speed, she has been researching, speaking and writing about the significance of the factory. As guest lecturer in Tokyo at the 2015 symposium of the Association for Glass Art Studies, Japan, she was welcomed by a wide range of Japanese glass manufacturers, artists, curators and collectors who all wanted to learn about this historic link between British and Japanese glassmaking, and the influence it had on their country’s industry.

In association with: Japanese Embassy in the UK, Culture Generation Japan, Horiguchi Kiriko Inc.

Free – booking recommended
Book online here

To reserve your place, please call the Japan Society office on 020 7828 6330 or email events@japansociety.org.uk or submit the online booking form.