One of the traditional handicrafts of Okinawa is Ryukyu glass, which has been made on the island since the Meiji Era. The colorful glass, made by adding coloring agents to the raw glass material is crafted by skilled artisans into objects for home use and decoration and can be bought at locations all over Okinawa. Often, the crafters use recycled glass making Ryukyu glass a beautiful as well as environmentally friendly item.
At the Ryukyu Glass Craft Factory, we were able to watch craftsmen at work as they formed and decorated pieces to be sold in the factory store. To shape the glass, the craftsmen using a technique called mid-air blowing using pipes and inserting the glass into a large furnace.They decorate the glass using techniques when the glass is cold (sandblasting) or hot (bubbles, crackling, melting and attaching). The result are unique glass items from flowers to pitchers and mugs.
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