Failure Story 1

Several years ago, we produced the original goods collaborating with some artists.

This mouse pad is made by Minoru ISHIHARA who does Dyeing Art. The surface is made of fiberglass and non-slip mat on the other side.

The technique of the pattern is Marbling, which is what he is good at. Usually, Marbling is done with papers as you know, but Mr. Ishihara found the way to marble with fiberglass.

I like this unique and shiny surface of it. And this non-smooth surface is good for both wheel and optical mouse, so I thought this is beautiful and still functional.

But, the fiberglass would eventually be rubbed and start to become threadbare, and give your hand a tingling discomfort.

It is okay to use it as a mat, but we found out this is not good for mouse pads.

I paused to realize how difficult Product Developing is. I learned it, again.

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My favorite pieces 3

This beautiful piece is a cloisonné Obidome made by Hiroki IWATA.  The title is “Aqueous Surface”.  Obidome is a small decorative accessory that is fastened onto obijime, which is a string that is tied around the obi sash. 

I introduced his works for the first time in the exhibition, “One hundred ObidomeⅢ” in Kyoto 2008.  I had known him for years for his wonderful works.  He was one of my favorite artists.  I asked him many times to join our exhibition and finally agreed to do. Mr. Iwata made 6 wonderful pieces for us.  Those pieces are titled “Rain”, “Snow”, “Moonlit Night”, “Misty Rain”, “Sunshine” and “Aqueous Surface”, his way to expression of nature beauty.

This piece is 3.5cm (H) x 6.0cm (W).  It may look heavier than it is at first sight, but not really.  There is a little ingenuity in the clasp on the back.  So this piece is both visually nice-looking and functionally satisfying.

It has always been a challenge for me to create works with visually nice-looking and functionally satisfying.  Now I am engaged in making buttons, and the same here.

Obidome "Aqueous Surface"

Hiroki IWATA

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My favorite pieces 2

I have been collecting incense containers for years.  This is one of my favorite pieces made by Mr. Kakinuma who makes Urushi-lacquered buttons for us.  This beautiful tiny piece is called “Akebono” which means dawn.

His Urushi-lacquer buttons we introduce in this website are all solid Urushi-lacquered ones, but this piece is a wood carving covered with Urushi-lacquer.

It is often said that Urushi-lacquered pieces, the more you use, the more it gets beautiful by rubbed and polished by your hands.

This incense container which fits in the palm of my hand has acquired a beautiful patina on its surface while I used it for years.

The inside of this piece, Nashiji-pattern is used.  Nashiji is often used for Makie which is one of the traditional Japanese decoration techniques for lacquer wares. How gorgeous!

As you see, it is quite simple piece, but when you open it, you will be surprised with the gorgeous pattern inside.

By the way, I found a pair of Nahiji cuff buttons on the internet. It was quite impressive. We are planning to make our original Nashiji buttons in the near future.

http://buttonhouse.jp

Gift for Season's Greetings & Masaki Kanda's Glass Work

The other day a guy that I know kindly sent me a box of cheery as a gift for season's greetings. The cherry is from Yamagata Pref. at Tohoku area in Japan. I guess everybody in the world knows the place name, Tohoku because of the disaster of earthquake and tsunami. Cherry is one of the special farm products of Yamagata Pref. Honestly it is a kind of costly fruit but it looks very beautiful. It is called "red diamond".

I put these red diamonds into glassware which was made by a glass artist, Masaki Kanda. This work is so-called kiln work. I like this work very much. The four legs make this work outstanding. Also I like the color that is half white, half clear. We can enjoy the see-through. I believe that this work is proper for something red.

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My favorite pieces 1

I would like to show you one of my favorite pieces.

This is a brooch made by Ms Akiko Fukui, a knitter.

This piece was made as an Obidome for the Obidome exhibition, but I use it as a brooch. I think it matches my polka-dot clothes. The material is PVC wire.

Akiko said PVC wire is a bit nuisance material. If the temperature is high, it becomes too loose to knit, if it is low, it becomes too hard to knit.

When I asked her to make some buttons using PVC wire, it was in midsummer. I remember she said that she had to control her room temperature.

Akiko Fukui, PVC wire buttons:
http://buttonhouse.jp/m_others.html

http://buttonhouse.jp

The Splendor of Japanese Export Crafts Exhibition

The other day, I visited TOBACCO & SALT MUSEUM in Shibuya to see the special exhibition “ The Splendor of Japanese Export Crafts”. It was wonderful collection! 

I heard the Meiji Government exported a variety of crafts overseas as a way of obtaining foreign currencies, but I have never seen the real ones.

In the collection, Yosegi writing desk was outstanding.  I have never seen such a big work with Yosegi.

Yosegi, the art of marquetry has a long tradition in Japan. You can see them in Odawara or Hakone in Kanagawa Pref. now. I sometimes buy small pieces such as small boxes, chopsticks, trays etc. for souvenir, but I have never imagined a writing desk covered with marquetry. How gorgeous!

By the way the museum is run by JT.  The admission fee is only 100yen.

It is a small museum, but unique as you can guess from the name.  It is one of the few museums in the world that specializes in tobacco and salt.  There is a nice cafeteria in the ground floor.  If you have a chance to go to Shibuya, it is worth visiting once.

http://www.jti.co.jp/Culture/museum/index.html

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I visited Kaoru Nakano Exhibition "washi jewelry

On the last Tuesday, I visited Kaoru Nakano exhibition in Aoyama.

It has been one year and half since I met Kaoru last time at Obidome exhibition in Kyoto.

It was in 2007 when I knew Ms. Kaoru Nakano for the first time as a jewelry artist using washi, Japanese traditional handmade papers.

 At that time, I was looking for new artists for the 3rd Obidome exhibition in 2008.

 First I happened to see her work at a gallery in Ginza, after that I sent a fax to ask her joining the exhibition.

Her works using Japanese paper is so unique. Can you imagine the accessories of paper?

Japanese paper is tough enough and a little bit shiny. Washi, Japanese papers are made in different areas of Japan. Kaoru uses Kurotani washi, intangible cultural properties in Kyoto.

Kaoru Nakano

Obidome "untitled"

Kyoko Ishikawa

Buttonhouse

http://buttonhouse.jp

How I met Mr. Issyu Kakinuma (Japanese traditional crafts master:urushi lacquer)

Here is a postcard which Mr. Kakinuma sent me in 1995. It was at the beginning of the year when I saw his urushi work at the first time in a small gallery in Tokyo. At that time, he was already authorized as Japanese traditional crafts master. I found out his address in the lists of crafts masters in order to offer him having his own exhibition in Tokyo. The postcard was his thank you note for my offer. Since then, it has been 16 years! I sometimes visit his studio at Murakami city in Niigata Pref. Of course I visited him for the meeting of Button House.

One of his techniques, Tsuisyu is amazing. He applies urushi lacquer to glass plate more than 100times that makes about 3mm thick urushi plate. After he pastes such plates together, he can get thicker one. He uses various colors of urushi.

Now I will show you his works which has the beautiful color layers.

Tsuisyu Obidome, “Purple field” 

Kyoko Ishikawa

Buttonhouse

http://buttonhouse.jp

How I met Ms. Tomoko Suyama (silversmith)

It was in 2002 when I met Tomoko at the first time.　It was not an accidental meeting.
I really searched and searched. At that time, I was planning an exhibition of Ms. Eiko Kimura. She is an embroidery artist. For her exhibition, I was eager to make accessories of Eiko’s embroidery. We needed someone to make silver frame for her new items.

I called and called metal artists up to ask this job, but no one said yes. When I nearly gave up, a silver artist introduced Tomoko as a silversmith well suited for the job. Since then they have collaborated.

Now I will show you the work, Eiko’s fine embroidery and Tomoko’s simple and nice frame.

Embroidery Obidome,"Scent"
Eiko Kimura
Silver frame: Tomoko Suyama




Kyoko Ishikawa

Buttonhouse

http://buttonhouse.jp

Buttonhouse has opend

Hello, I am Kyoko Ishikawa, director of Yubiya. I am happy to inform you that we start new web-site, “Button House”. Though there are thousands of buttons in the shops, you have never seen such a kind of buttons in this site. I will show you high-quality, gorgeous and unique ones.

I had the Obidome exhibitions four times in every two years since 2004. Obidome is a kind of accessory for Obi-sash. Creating them with some crafts artists was interesting.
We had to keep our mind on the limitation of this unique accessory. I would like to make use of my experience for Button House.

I sometimes order my suits but I am not satisfied with the buttons very much.
It is my great pleasure that the buttons in this site will make your dresses, bags and hats your only and worthy one.

Kyoko Ishikawa

Buttonhouse

http://buttonhouse.jp