A Fresh Feeling for Summer Days

Clear Ryukyu glass

The year has passed its halfway point, and the days are becoming warm and humid.
Summer invites us to enjoy fragrant sencha or Japanese black tea slowly brewed in cold water.
A beautiful glass can add a fresh feeling to that moment.
Light shines through Lobsto's glasses, bringing a little brightness to the table.

Made in Uruma, Okinawa

Lobsto Glass Studio in Uruma, Okinawa, was founded in 2004 by Tokyo-born Ryukyu glass artist Ikeda (池田章洋), after training at two glass studios.
The glasses are mold-blown: glass is placed in a shaped wooden, metal or plaster mold and inflated by breath. The amount of air and time in the mold create differences between pieces, giving them a handmade character that machines cannot reproduce.

Lobsto's carefully designed molds shape not only the glass but also the patterns of light and shadow it casts.
Both the Diamond Flared Glass and Diamond Barrel Glass are comfortable to hold and easy to pair with different drinks.

A natural wood tray that can be washed

For this dessert setting, we paired the Lobsto glasses with a GOLD CRAFT tray, made by a molded-plywood specialist in Kagawa.
The chestnut-shaped tray uses natural wood but is finished for practical use as tableware.
Its gently spreading outline makes it easy to arrange food in the center and use the tray as a serving plate.
The water-resistant finish allows dishwasher cleaning according to the maker's care instructions, making it practical after meals.

Wood's individual character, made for daily use

Thin sheets of wood veneer are layered, pressed and molded into a light, slim tray. GOLD CRAFT reports testing its tableware through 3,000 commercial dishwasher cycles without visible change under the test conditions.
The maker's special coating helps protect against staining and wear while allowing the character of the wood to remain visible.
Natural wood grain gives every piece its own appearance.