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The use of color so vivid that it is like picturing
the nature of Okinawa on a thick film is a feature of Ryukyu glass.
Bearing in mind its history as previously mentioned, it is the newest
traditional craft in Okinawa Prefecture and bigan to gain notice
as a glass craft only after the war, when production began for U.
S. military personnel stationed in Okinawa.
After the war, recycled glass created from empty soda bottles discarded
by military personnel was thick with air bubbles. These air bubbles,
usually considered defects, were utilized as features of Ryukyu
glass, and even after factories that use raw glass materials increased
it has been handed down as an unsophisticated specialty.
As with hand-blown Ryukyu glass, unlike industrial products, warmth,
which only handicrafts can provide, can be felt from each slightly
different color and form. In 1998 it was recognized as a traditional
craftwork of Okinawa Prefecture and, worthy of the name, became
one of the crafts that represents Okinawa. |
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