This piece is a stemmed glass cup by Kaoru Okawa (1940–2008), who worked at Hokuyo Glass, a glassworks in Aomori Prefecture, while also presenting his own works as an independent artist. The underside of the foot bears the incised signature “K. OKAWA.” The frosted, matte body is decorated with gold-tone foil combined with applied glass beads. Measuring approximately 8.5 cm in height and 8.0 cm in rim diameter, it is well suited for use as a Japanese-style shot glass for savoring aged spirits a little at a time.
According to his reported biography, Mr. Okawa was born in Niigata Prefecture in 1940, studied craft design at Musashino Art University, and joined Hokuyo Glass in Aomori City in 1964. Hokuyo Glass began in 1949 as a maker of glass fishing floats. Building on the free-blowing (chūbuki) technique developed through float making, the company created Tsugaru Vidro in 1977, a line of handmade glass expressing the four seasons and natural landscapes of Aomori. Tsugaru Vidro was also the first product to be designated a traditional craft of Aomori Prefecture. From 1980 onward, Mr. Okawa presented his work in solo exhibitions and glass exhibitions in various parts of Japan. According to the official records of Aomori Prefecture, he received the 11th Aomori Prefecture Art and Culture Award in the crafts category for fiscal year Showa 60 (1985). He is further reported to have won the Grand Prize in Section 1 of the Tohoku Glass Art Exhibition, sponsored by Asahi Glass, in 1990, and the Asahi Glass Prize at the 1st Japan Glass Art Exhibition in 1991. In 2006 he served as an adviser to the company, and he passed away in 2008.
Mr. Okawa’s style is distinguished by the way he incorporated glassmaking techniques from abroad on a foundation of glassblowing. In particular, his tea ceremony utensils, in which he adapted millefiori, the mosaic glass technique handed down on the Venetian island of Murano, in his own distinctive way, are introduced as representative of his work. He also produced many works on the theme of the natural scenery of the Tsugaru region. This piece does not employ millefiori mosaic decoration. Instead, it shows a different line of decorative expression using gold-tone foil and glass beads, and it stands as an example of the breadth of his technical range.
The vessel takes the form of a bajohai, or stem cup: an upward-flaring cup set on a thick, solid stem that widens toward its base. The entire surface has a matte finish with subdued luster. The color shifts from top to bottom, from a pale yellow at the rim and upper body, to a milky tone from the lower body to the top of the stem, and back to a yellowish hue in the stem itself. A band of gold-tone foil encircles the middle of the body. The foil is broken into a fine network of cracks through which the underlying glass shows, and glass beads of various sizes rise above it. The beads are irregular in shape, some round, some elongated, some joined in clusters, and several project beyond the outline of the vessel. Because the matte surface diffuses light softly, the whole vessel appears to glow gently when lit, while only the foil glitters finely, creating a striking contrast. The decorative band can also be seen through the glass from the interior, so the arrangement of foil and beads can be enjoyed from inside the cup as well. The signature “K. OKAWA” is incised on the flat inner surface of the underside of the foot.
The piece bears no date. It is a work bearing the artist’s personal signature, made between 1980, when he began presenting his work in solo and glass exhibitions, and his death in 2008. Documentation on Mr. Okawa is limited even within Japan, and his work has received almost no attention overseas. This stem cup, combining gold-tone foil and glass beads on a frosted body, is a piece of documentary value for understanding his work.
- Artist: Kaoru Okawa (大川 薫, 1940–2008)
- Representative career highlights: [1964] Joined Hokuyo Glass, [1980 onward] Exhibited in solo exhibitions and glass exhibitions in various parts of Japan, [1985] 11th Aomori Prefecture Art and Culture Award (Crafts, fiscal year Showa 60), [1990] Grand Prize, Section 1, Tohoku Glass Art Exhibition (sponsored by Asahi Glass), [1991] Asahi Glass Prize, 1st Japan Glass Art Exhibition (sponsored by Asahi Glass), [2006] Adviser to Hokuyo Glass
- Museum collections: No museum holdings have been confirmed
- Period of production: Late Showa to Heisei era (between 1980 and 2008)
- Condition: Shows signs of use (marks resembling water stains are visible on the surface)
- Accessories: None
- Material: Glass (metal foil decoration)
- Dimensions: Height approx. 8.5 cm, rim diameter approx. 8.0 cm
- Remarks: Incised signature “K. OKAWA” on the underside of the foot
- Note: All items offered by our shop, even if new and unused, were produced long ago and are therefore listed as pre-owned. Items may show age-related wear or damage; please review and understand this before considering your purchase.
