① Product Description
The moment I picked it up, I thought: this smells like earth — even though it's glass.
The surface of this moss green cup is traced with earth patterns that seem to breathe. Not painted. Not printed. Okinawan red clay and white clay, melted directly into the molten glass itself. The technique is called tsuchinomon (earth pattern) — and it's something Seiichirou Inamine developed on his own. You won't find it anywhere else in the world.
Glass and earth shouldn't belong together. And yet, in fire, they fuse. The red clay is the soil of Okinawa itself. The white clay is stillness. Both settle into the depths of this moss green glass, shifting with the light, changing with every angle. It's transparent, yet it feels grounded. Light to hold, yet somehow it settles you.
This is Ryukyu Glass at the edge of where it's still being invented. Seiichirou's father, Contemporary Master Craftsman Seikichi Inamine, created Awa Glass — the bubble glass that defines this studio. His son has now added tsuchinomon to that lineage, taking the same hand-blowing tradition somewhere no one has gone before.
Pour in cold tea, sake, or whisky on the rocks — and watch the earth patterns shift while you drink.
② Dimensions & Weight
- Height: 3.9 in (10 cm)
- Width / Diameter: 3.5 in (9 cm)
- Depth: 3.5 in (9 cm)
- Weight: 8.4 oz (237 g)
③ Capacity
13.2 fl oz (391 ml).
④ Materials
Hand-blown Ryukyu Glass (琉球ガラス) in the tsuchinomon technique — Okinawan red clay and white clay melted directly into the surface of a moss-green molten glass body. The technique is original to Seiichirou Inamine and not produced by any other studio. Made of lead-free glass as confirmed by the artisan.
⑤ Origin
A Ryukyu Glass piece hand-blown in Yomitan Village, Okinawa, Japan by Seiichirou Inamine at Chūfuki Glass Kōbō Niji — a studio founded in 1988 by Contemporary Master Craftsman Seikichi Inamine, and now continued by his son.
⑥ Handmade Note
Each piece is one-of-a-kind. Slight variations in color, texture, clay distribution, and size are a natural part of the hand-blowing process — and part of its charm.
⑦ Care Instructions
Hand wash only with mild soap and a soft cloth. Not microwave safe. Not dishwasher safe. Avoid sudden temperature changes — never pour boiling liquid or place in a freezer. Hand-blown Ryukyu Glass is more delicate than mass-produced glassware; handle with care.
⑧ Food Safe Statement
Made of lead-free glass as confirmed by the artisan. Third-party laboratory certification is in progress. This product currently includes a Prop 65 warning out of an abundance of caution while certification is pending.
⑨ Prop 65 Warning
⚠ WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
⑩ Shipping Note
Fragile item — packaged with great care to ensure safe delivery. Ships from San Francisco, CA.
