Light & Time
Light & Time
Stone pavements laid in sixteenth-century Shuri, the legend of the feathered robe, light scattered by gold and silver leaf. The depth of history, sealed inside each piece.
About this theme
In Okinawa, several layers of time exist at once. In Shuri, a stone-paved road built roughly five hundred years ago from Ryukyu limestone still remains, and visitors today can walk on the same stones people once walked centuries earlier.
The island's stories have carried across time in much the same way. The legend of the feathered robe, about a woman who descended from the sky, whose robe was hidden away, so that she remained on the island, survives as memory rather than written record, passed down from person to person.
And over all of this, there is light. Gold leaf and silver leaf take in light within the glass, changing their shine and appearance depending on the angle from which they are viewed. Each time a piece is picked up, the light shifts quietly. The makers featured here have set into glass the island's layered time and stories, along with the light that falls across them.
Series
Stone Pavement (Ishidatami)
Gaja Ryoshu, Master Artisan from Okinawa Prefecture
Stone Pavement takes its name from the paved road that still remains in Shuri. It comes in two colors, blue and brown, each with its own character.
Churamai
Gaja Ryoshu, Master Artisan from Okinawa Prefecture
Churamai draws its inspiration from the island's feathered-robe legend. On gyoku, a glass with a soft, near-opaque whiteness, the maker sets silver leaf to create a play of light that suggests the feathered robe itself.
Ryuka and the Gold Leaf Wine Glass
Ryuka and the Gold Leaf Wine Glass both use gold leaf. As light enters the glass, its shine takes on a different character depending on the angle.