Ornamented Casket, Weeping Cherry Tree

Ornamented Casket is one of Fujita Kyohei’s signature series, evoking associations with the Japanese Rinpa school due to its incorporation of gold foil into glass sculpture. The works are highly acclaimed both in Japan and internationally, and have been dubbed “Fujita’s dream boxes.” Here the casket is divided into three levels, top, middle, and bottom, all adorned with grains of colored glass that resemble cherry blossoms, and intricately intertwined with gold foil to create a dynamic visual effect, as if the petals are fluttering or swaying in the breeze. Born in Tokyo, Fujita studied metal carving at Tokyo Fine Arts School before transitioning to glass. After gaining recognition for the Ornamented Casket series, he further broadened his style after mastering Venetian glass techniques in Italy. He was awarded the Order of Culture, and lived in Ichikawa City, Chiba. (N.R.)