DESIGN NAME: Kairos Time
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Earrings
INSPIRATION: Kairos Time is the moment of transformation. When God’s time ticks away, it is the miracle moment for all creatures to be transformed into whole new beings and it circulates eternally in the universe. This pair of amber earrings was designed with Makie, a Japanese lacquer sprinkled with gold powder. Each piece shows God’s time for a butterfly, the moment of the butterfly’s emergence and the moment of transformation to spirit. Diamonds express the eternal cosmos blinking.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: I designed a pair of amber earrings with Makie art. As I looked into the origins of amber and Japanese lacquer, I came across an amazing serendipity that they are both tree born natural resins and functionally, work very well together. Amber is the fossilization of coniferous resin originating in the mountains, and lacquer is a natural resin processed from the sap of trees. This botanical combination would be a good symbolic environmentally friendly item in any field.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Focused on aesthetics, simplicity, and wearability for contemporary lifestyles, I designed a pair of earrings. It is so light and comfortable for people to wear amber items because of its low specific gravity. When one wears earrings and the sunlight reaches the amber and diamond, the impression of the earrings increases more beautifully. They are simple and easy to treat in everyday life.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: These amber and Makie earrings are from the Tacara jewelry collection which started and developed in Kyoto, Japan since September 2017. They were exhibited at Ame gallery Hong Kong in 2018 and Imura Art Gem Kyoto, Japan in 2019.
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Makie is one of Japan’s unique lacquer crafting techniques for decoration, which involves attaching gold, silver and other colored powders as well as designing patterns using materials made from processed sap taken from lacquer trees which are found throughout Asia. The technique was developed mainly from 794–1185 in Japan; and Makie objects were initially designed as household items for court nobles. After gaining in popularity, it became a symbol of power for royal families and military leaders.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Width 20mm×Depth 13mm×Height 55mm. 18kt white gold, natural Baltic amber, diamond 0.11ct are used in the whole earrings. For the Makie component, 24kt Gold powder, Mother of pearl, and Japanese lacquer are used. The Earrings are depicted both from the front and the back of the amber to make one design image of with Makie technique.
TAGS: Jewelry, Earrings, Amber, Makie, Treasure, Transformation and Harmony, Nature Feeling, Earth, Comfortable, Eco Friendly
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: Durability for amber with Makie object. To create a standard jewelry object, it was necessary to know the characteristics of the materials. Natural lacquer or chemical cashew paint was applied to amber by 3 craftsmen and checked for changes within 3 months. Pearls, amber, Japanese lacquer, cashew paint and acrylic urethane coating were used. Natural lacquer stayed very well on amber, however, cashew paint lost its luster and color. Acrylic urethane coating helps to raise durability and aesthetics for Makie jewelry.
CHALLENGE: Each Makie craftsman has individual techniques with different materials for their work. It is necessary to know the Makie condition precisely and add special coatings on top to maintain designs if it is needed. The expression of beauty between Japanese traditional art work Makie and Western Jewelry is very different. Maintaining good communication with craftsmen is always the key to creating beautiful pieces. Amber is so unique and fun to work with, however, it is impossible to add gems and gold without the work of goldsmiths because of its hardness (2 and 2.5 on the Mohs scale).
ADDED DATE: 2019-03-30 12:49:56
TEAM MEMBERS (2) : Makie craftswoman: Sayuri Ota and Photographer: Masashi Yoshinaga
IMAGE CREDITS: Optional Image #3
Copy right <ahref="https://jp.123rf.com/profile_eugen
esergeev">eugenesergeev / 123RF 写真素材</a>
Copy right: <ahref="https://jp.123rf.com/profile_eugen
esergeev">eugenesergeev / 123RF 写真素材</a>
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