What is your impression of the actual work?
That’s right. The prototype of the prototype is finally on its way to us from the prototype maker, so I think this will be the start of the competition. This time, we are using a different type of silver from that often used in cloisonne ware, so I am not sure if the glaze will really adhere or not, or if it will break easily. I am still in the handmade stage, so I am not sure how it will turn out.
What does it mean to your company to make things by hand in this day and age?
I have always believed that making things is a human instinct. I think it is a human instinct to make something and want to display it or wear it, so I work faithfully to that instinct. I also think there is a good sense of variation. I think that the goodness and warmth of something that you can tell was made by a person can be conveyed to others, and that is why I am particular about handmade products.
Even though the jewelry to be made this time will be mass-produced, will there be individual variations, or will there be slight differences among craftsmen?
It will definitely come out. While aiming for uniformity, there are actually slight differences when comparing one piece at a time. When you look at the same piece, you may find that one is a little better and one is a little thinner than the other.
It is likely that some people will be interested in working together to create new products when they learn that this kind of thing can be made using cloisonne enameling techniques.
Yes, that is our goal. As a manufacturer, we have been involved in everything from manufacturing to sales, so we want people to know about our technology and what we can do, and then they might be able to create something interesting if they work with us.
So I would like to collaborate with people in various fields, such as making emblems for Toyota cars, and look for new possibilities instead of continuing to make the same kind of things as before in the cloisonne ware industry.
What kind of people would you like to see use the products you have spent so much time and effort on this time?
I think it would be good if people like cloisonne and think it is nice, but I would be happy if people who have never heard of cloisonne could learn about it and feel its charm. I would like people to think that the transparency of colored glass is good and wear it.