Description
Hand-blown by the team at Shotoku Glass, the Usuhari collection of glass has a uniform thinness of less than 1mm. The glasses are remarkably light and special to hold.
Monocle captures the essence of the glasses well: "Sip a shochu from a Shotoku glass and every other drinking vessel suddenly feels disappointingly clumsy and mass-produced by comparison. Shotoku glasses turn up in all the smartest – but not necessarily the most expensive – bars and restaurants in Tokyo. Aficionados won’t drink from anything else."
The Tumbler style is a typical glass shape and suitable for beer and soft drinks alike. The two glasses come in a wooden box to keep the glasses safe during delivery and while stored.
Sizes
Three sizes of tumbler are currently available:
- Medium (M) - 250ml
- Large (L) - 340ml (a standard drinks can is 330ml)
- Extra Large (LL) - 480ml
Care Notes
These glasses are very delicate and should be hand cleaned with a soft cloth. Rapid temperature changes could shatter the glass. Do not put in the dishwasher.
About Shotoku Glass
The Shotoku Glass (松徳硝子) furnace burns 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, always between 1,300 and 1,500 degrees. When the artisans finish their work at 17:00, the craftspeople that specialise in melting glass arrive to carry out this process throughout the night.
Based in Tokyo, Shotoku Glass was established in 1922 as a lightbulb manufacturer. As the lightbulb industry became automated, Shotoku Glass turned its mouth-blown glass skills to producing glassware. Shotoku Glass is renowned for its collection of especially thin glass, named Usuhari (うすはり).