Posted 9 years ago
racer4four
(620 items)
These floats are probably quite recently made but there is a long history of Japanese glass blowing that started with the manufacture of fishing floats.
In many coastal areas of Japan the main industry has been fishing, and after the Portuguese taught the locals glass blowing centuries ago, they have had an industry blowing glass floats.
It is this industry that allowed the establishment of early glass works (mostly established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries) to make utilitarian objects, which then post WW2 developed the Japanese art glass industry.
Fishing floats are still made today, and you will often see them collected or for sale after they have detached from nets and floated around the world.
Apart from being simple and beautiful objects, these floats represent the basis for the Japanese art glass I now collect.
Wonderful post, Karen. Full of information.....as ever.
stunning!!
Thank you Peggy...I appreciate your feedback!
I'm after a large one with net too Puck but they are pretty exe!
Thanks Sean!
Beautiful colors:)
Thanks Trey! As you can tell these have never been used as floats....purely decorative.
There are those glass fishing orbs. I knew I'd find 'em here! lol.....
Yep, they are here Westred! Important history.
Great story MsCrystalShip. I didn't know that about purple ones - wonderful info!
The floats in my photos have been made purely as decorative items I think.
I have an older and very large float still in it's net that I really love that now bobs around my pool. I don't know when it was made but I love thinking about where it may have started it's journey and where it has been since.
The floats in my photos have been made purely as decorative items I think.