Hokuyo Glass was established in 1949 in the Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost region of Japan's main island. The company initially built its reputation not on decorative art glass, but as a manufacturer of glass fishing floats, known as ukidama. By 1973, their superior Chubuki (free-blowing) craftsmanship made them the top producer of glass floats in all of Japan.
A major turning point in the company's design history was the 'Accidental Green.' According to brand lore, an artisan decided to mix a handful of sand from the local Shichiri-Nagahama beach into the glass melt. The specific minerals in the sand reacted, turning the transparent glass a brilliant, deep green. Because their remote geographic location made it difficult to import pre-coloured glass, this discovery sparked an obsession with bespoke colour formulation, prompting Hokuyo to mix all their own vibrant colours in-house.
Read more about Hokuyo Glass here.
Read more about Japanese glass production here.
THIS LISTING
Model Centrepiece
Colour Blue, Pink
Production 1960/70s
Dimensions 18cm (7") tall, 16cm wide
Condition Excellent condition with no wear we can see. Retains part of its original label.
