Discovering Glassblowing

Hanada: How did you first discover the craft of making glass tableware, Ms. Miura?

Yuko Miura : At university, I was studying spatial design, but I gradually felt a desire to do something where I could feel the sensation of making things more directly. The university offered courses in ceramics and woodworking, but I thought, “If I’m going to do this, I might as well choose a material that isn’t available here.” Right around that time, I happened to see a TV program about glassblowing.

Hanada: That must have been the exact moment your talent connected with glass.

Yuko Miura : I completely felt that genuine sense of “creating things.” I remember thinking, “I don’t really know what’s going on, but these people are intensely making things, and everyone is covered in sweat.” It turned out that one of my classmates also happened to be interested in glass. So, the two of us took action together and headed to Venice early on.

Hanada: You certainly moved quickly.

Yuko Miura : We didn’t have any money, but we had plenty of time. We wanted to see the heart of the craft firsthand, and we figured we might not get another opportunity like that in the future.

Hanada: How did you find Venice?

Yuko Miura : Seeing older men walking down the street carrying long glass rods made me think, “Wow, this really is a city of glass!” Everywhere you looked, someone was making glass. Some were doing flameworking, and of course, others were doing glassblowing. And everyone seemed to be making horses. Right in front of the tourists, they would take a gather of glass and instantly shape it into a horse without reheating it even once. I thought, “This is incredible” (laughs).

The Image of Glassblowing

Yuko Miura : After that, my classmate and I decided to attend a glass institute in Toyama.

Hanada: Perhaps things moved so smoothly because you were a duo.

Yuko Miura : Yes. Having a companion like her was definitely a major reason I was able to take that step.

Hanada: Did you experience techniques other than glassblowing while in Toyama?

Yuko Miura : Yes, we did. Out of everything, glassblowing felt the most natural and right for me. However, when people say things like, “It’s like being an athlete, isn’t it?” it makes me want to say, “No, no, I am really not that stoic” (laughs). Many male artists often run or train their bodies, which might be why that image is so strong, but I am completely different. I would absolutely never run (laughs).

Making Tableware

Hanada: What did you do after finishing your studies at the institute in Toyama?

Yuko Miura : I spent five years at a studio in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture. I think that was where I managed to acquire the foundations of calmly and consistently making identical pieces.

Hanada: And after that, you became independent. Did you focus on making tableware from the very beginning?

Yuko Miura : Right at the start, I was making sculptural objects, or rather, glass vegetables—things of that nature. But no matter how many I made, there was absolutely no sign of them becoming fine art or anything sublime (laughs). They remained just “ornaments.” I felt a bit lost for a while. So, I decided to go back to the basics and reconsider what glassblowing originally was. Until then, my focus had been entirely on what I wanted to make or how I wanted to express myself. But when I studied it again, I realized that glassblowing is fundamentally about making tableware. They are true everyday items.

Hanada: The technique of glassblowing originally developed as a way to produce items in larger quantities.

Yuko Miura : It seems that essence hasn’t changed at all.

Hanada: It’s truly incredible. Quite a grand invention.

Yuko Miura : Yet, it’s not attributed to any single discoverer, is it? It probably progressed among artisans who noticed, “Oh look, we can blow into this.” Within a hundred years of its inception, techniques like using a pontil and transferring the piece to a different rod were perfected, and the items being made took on proper tableware shapes. The core technique itself hasn’t changed for 2,000 years. Thinking about it that way made tableware very interesting to me. I also felt a growing sense of depth the more I worked at it.

Teachers of Tableware Making

Hanada: Your tableware also feels like it carries the essence of antiques and vintage pieces.

Yuko Miura : Since I approached the craft from a historical perspective, that’s where it stems from. I decided to visit libraries and museums to look through everything from end to end.

Hanada: What was it like for you to actually reference or replicate old objects?

Yuko Miura : I think people in the past were truly amazing. There are so many pieces that leave me wondering how they could have possibly made them. For instance, for a long time, I couldn’t figure out how the foot on this piece was made, though I’ve finally managed to do it recently. I only had a single photograph taken directly from the side, so I couldn’t tell whether they had attached a separate piece of glass or folded it over.

Hanada: How did you figure it out?

Yuko Miura : By trial and error—it was a matter of trying over and over (laughs). I experimented with various methods. Also, this piece was from the Shosoin treasure house, and since I didn’t know how to make it, I just kept practicing. Lately, I feel like I’ve finally gotten much closer to my ideal square shape.

The Ice Cream Glass

Yuko Miura : This is the ice cream glass.

Hanada: To think they had such a stylish thing as an ice cream glass during the Meiji and Taisho eras… Did people back then really eat that much ice cream?

Yuko Miura : I actually looked into that as well—when ice cream first arrived in Japan. It seems it was introduced right around the time the country opened up after the isolation period. Even so, it must have been an exceptionally rare luxury.

Hanada: Adding a handle is such a brilliant concept. Tableware with handles wouldn’t have been common in Japan back then. It has a similar feel to a custard cup. And for your ice cream glass, you’ve altered the shape of the handle, haven’t you?

Yuko Miura : Yes, I arrange it into a form that feels natural to me and allows for consistent production.

Hanada: Is there anything else you keep in mind when creating glass tableware?

Yuko Miura : Ensuring that it blends well with the dining table. I am also very mindful of the weight. Especially with plates, if they are too heavy, people won’t use them, but if they are too thin, they feel frightening to handle. I try to make them so that they feel intuitively similar to handling ceramic plates.

The Joy of Choosing

Hanada: We are very much looking forward to the exhibition.

Yuko Miura : Recently, I’ve been making larger salad bowls, and I vary the size and shape for each individual piece. For individual items like small bowls, having them uniform makes them easier to use, but with larger pieces, I thought having a variety would allow people to choose based on their family setup or intended use. I would be delighted if everyone enjoys the process of choosing as well.

Hanada: Thank you very much. We are looking forward to it.

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