Giyaman Exhibition: Imported glass and Japan

Kobe City Museum

This event has ended.

In the late Edo period, the high-quality glassware imported from Europe was called “Giyaman” to distinguish it from the common Japan-made glass. The word “Giyaman” originates from the Portuguese word for diamond, “Diamante”. With transparency like diamond, this colorless and multifaceted cut glass has been considered a great treasure by the Japanese people.
This is the first exhibition in Japan to showcase the European glass brought into Japan through the Momoyama, Edo, and the first half of the Meiji periods. A total of 182 glassworks, including 17th Century Venetian glass, 18th and 19th Century gold leaf glassware from Netherlands and Britain, cut glass, and Japanese glass made under this influence, are exhibited.

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There will be a series of lectures on Aug.9 (Sat) and every Saturday during the exhibition. Admission is free but exhibition entrance ticket is required.
Please refer to the official site for further details.

[Image: Decorative glass set. First half of the 19th Century, Central Europe, The Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture]