Edo Kiriko "Roku-kaku Kagome" Cut-Glass Old Fashioned Pair (Red + Blue) — Tokyo Traditional Craft by Kimoto Glass, in Paulownia Kiri-Bako Gift Box (Ø 83 × H 87 mm, 200 ml each)
A matched pair of Tokyo Edo Kiriko (江戸切子) cut-glass old-fashioned tumblers — one red, one blue — by Kimoto Glass Tokyo (木本硝子), the Sumida-based glass house whose Edo Kiriko line carries the Tokyo Cut Glass Industry Cooperative's traditional-craft cert (the gold round sticker visible on each glass). This set ships in a paulownia kiri-bako wooden gift box (木箱), the traditional Japanese presentation tier reserved for cooperative-cert cut-glass — sister SKU to our Kasane Yarai pair, but in the taller tall-old-fashioned form and with the more technically demanding hexagonal kagome lattice.
About Edo Kiriko
Edo Kiriko is one of Japan's nationally-designated Traditional Crafts (国指定伝統工芸品, METI-designated 2002), originating in Tokyo's Edo period (1603–1868) and produced in continuous succession by craft families ever since. The technique starts with a 二重構造 / cased-glass blank: at 1,350°C, a transparent core layer is sheathed by a thin colored outer layer. A trained kiriko cutter then hand-cuts every facet, line, and lattice into the colored skin — and the deeper the cut goes, the brighter the clear inner glass shows through, producing the high-contrast colored-on-clear pattern that defines the craft.
The pattern — Roku-kaku Kagome
The supplier's name for this design is 六角籠目 (Roku-kaku Kagome), or "Hexagonal Basket-Eye." Kagome (籠目) is one of Edo Kiriko's canonical motifs — the open six-sided weave pattern of a traditional bamboo basket — and it is considered among the most technically demanding lattices to cut cleanly, because each tiny hexagon must close perfectly to its six neighbors without overshoot. Around each of the four hexagonal kagome panels, paired sasa-no-ha (笹の葉 / bamboo-leaf) cuts radiate outward like palm fronds; between the kagome panels, central diamond-lozenge frames are anchored by yaguruma (矢車 / arrow-wheel) X-star cuts. Long vertical kiri-cuts drop from the mid-body toward the base, where a row of broad oval thumb-cut bevels and a foot starburst finish the composition.
The pair
The red and blue glasses are cut to the identical pattern. Together they make a natural his-and-hers / kanpai / red-vs-blue pairing — well suited to whiskey, bourbon, single-malt, shōchū-on-the-rocks, plum wine, or non-alcoholic mocktails. At 87 mm tall this set is a tall-old-fashioned form (20 mm taller than the classic OF), with 200 ml capacity sized for a generous on-the-rocks pour with one or two large ice cubes.
About the material — soda glass, not lead crystal
Edo Kiriko is traditionally made in two material classes: lead crystal (クリスタルガラス, more refractive, heavier) and soda-lime glass (ソーダ硝子, lighter, lead-free, the original Edo-era material). This set is the soda-lime glass body — supplier-stated 素材：ソーダ硝子. The craft execution is the same — every facet hand-cut by a kiriko cutter — but the body is the lighter soda-glass class, which we mention so you know exactly what you're buying.
The kiri-bako presentation
This pair ships in a paulownia 木箱 (kiri-bako) wooden gift box — the traditional Japanese presentation format reserved for cooperative-cert cut-glass and higher-tier craft pieces. The lid carries brushwork 江戸切子 伝統工芸 calligraphy and EDO KIRICO by KIMOTO GLASSWARE in the lower band. Paulownia is the conventional wood for fine-craft presentation in Japan because it is light, dimensionally stable, and naturally cushions impacts during transit and long-term storage. Box outer: 114 × 190 × 93 mm.
Care
The supplier does not specify microwave or dishwasher use, and we recommend hand-wash only — warm water with mild dish soap, soft cloth — to protect the cut edges and the cased color layer. Avoid rapid temperature changes (no boiling water; no freezing solid); avoid abrasive sponges. Cut crystal and kiriko share the same care rule: thermal shock and dishwasher abrasion are the two main risks. The paulownia kiri-bako should be kept dry; if it gets damp, air-dry away from direct sunlight.
• Made by Kimoto Glass / Edo Kiriko in Tokyo, Japan, curated by ZenKiln.
