Hirota Glass "Taisho Roman"
In the 1980s, Hirota Glass, a Edo glass maker designed the "Taisho Roman." This series was reissued through a process of trial and error to revive the "milky white glass" glass manufacturing method that dominated the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) eras.
Today, with the exception of antique stores, it is rare to come in contact with glass that uses the "milky white glass" technique.
The milky-white romantic patterns are not painted on the glass. It is created by exposing the glass to rapid changes in temperature during the molding process, using a material that contains a natural ingredient called bone ash. Please enjoy the ephemeral yet beautiful opalescent glass tints that emerge momentarily due to the artisan's skillful control of temperature.
Experience the Cool Transparency of Hirota Glass
Beautiful Hirota Glass motifs are based on traditional Japanese auspicious patterns.
The cool impression makes it perfect for spring and summer table settings. Enjoy the beauty of these intricate patterns, brought out when used for tea.
The base is made by wrapping milky white glass around clear glass.
The base is blown into an uneven mold to create an uneven glass bulb. Patterns begin to appear faintly.
The bulb cools down and is heated again in the kiln. Patterns start to emerge.
The glass is then blown into another mold to be formed into glass cups or other shapes. The surface becomes smooth, and the pattern appears clearly due to the difference in temperature.
Unnecessary parts are cut off, seared and smoothed, and then allowed to cool slowly over a period of two hours, completing the process.
