This delicate glassware combines traditional glass-blowing techniques with the latest in 3-D modeling technology.

Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake is a hub for all manner of creative endeavors, ideas, and products from passionate artisans. Today we’d like to share just one such project with our readers since it truly took our breath away the first time we laid eyes on it.

The product in question is a series of handblown glassware dubbed “minaniwa,” including both plates and bowls, that are designed in such an aesthetically pleasing way as to give the impression that you’re eating on rippling water when sunlight streams through them. A team of artisans in Osaka developed this new method of production by combining traditional glassblowing techniques with the latest in 3-D modeling and visualization in order to mimic water ripples as realistically as possible.

▼ The reflections conjured up by the sunlit glass bring to mind the serene image of a bubbling spring.

▼ Each piece is made by hand and therefore no two pieces are exactly alike.

▼ A sample 3-D rendering of water in motion used in the production of minaniwa

The glassware comes in two basic forms–“Still” and “Fill”–for which there are two sizes each. Let’s begin with the flatter version:

“Still” mizutamari (“puddle”) flat dish

  • Still 21: 21-centimeter (8.27-inch) diameter, 1.5 centimeters (0.59 inches) deep
  • Still 26: 26-centimeter (10.24-inch) diameter, 2 centimeters (0.79 inches) deep

Now on to the deeper bowl:

“Fill” mizu michiru (“brimming with water”) deep bowl

  • Fill 21: 21-centimeter diameter, 2.5 centimeters deep
  • Fill 26: 26-centimeter diameter, 3 centimeters deep

The 21-centimeter diameter versions of either “Still” or “Fill” cost 7,000 yen (US$62.85) each, while the 26-centimeter diameter versions cost 8,600 yen each. A set of two 21-centimeter diameter versions is also going for 12,400 yen, whereas a set of two 26-centimeter diameter versions is marked as 15,200 yen, so if you were planning to purchase more than one anyway buying in bulk could save you some cash.

To whet both your appetites and your eye candy, take a look at some of the beautiful gastronomic and artistic displays that can be dreamed up with minaniwa glassware:

Although minaniwa’s crowdfunding campaign is running until April 29, the project actually met its end goal of raising 300,000 yen in only three days. Its proceeds are currently reaching upwards of 533,900 yen as of this writing and the administrators have voiced that they plan to ship the finished products out to purchasers by the end of June. If you’ve fallen in love with the delicate glass creations in the photos above, don’t miss your chance to order one of them before the end of April from Makuake. It’s a great site for lots of unique, handcrafted Japanese products!

Source: Japaaan
Images: Makuake 
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