PILLAR Object

Pillars are the structural support for all kinds of spaces — from ancient temples to modern buildings, they connect ground to ceiling, weight to air. The PILLAR object takes this fundamental architectural form and translates it into handcrafted glass.

The hexagonal pillar shape combines geometric precision with organic warmth. In Japanese architecture, the pillar (柱 / hashira) holds particular significance — it is the first structural element placed in traditional building. In Shinto practice, the shinbashira (心柱, literally "heart pillar") is the central column of a pagoda, representing the spiritual core of the structure. PILLAR objects draw from this Japanese regard for the vertical form that supports and connects.

As light passes through the multiple surfaces of each hexagonal column, the internal bubbles emerge like layers within the glass. When one changes the orientation or angle, the position and density of visible bubbles shift, and the sense of depth changes. The space between surfaces — the interplay of solid glass and trapped air — becomes the subject itself.

This effect relates to ma (間), a Japanese concept meaning the meaningful interval or space between things. Ma is not empty space — it is active, purposeful space that gives form its meaning. The eight polished surfaces create boundaries between light and shadow, transparency and opacity, inside and outside. The form draws the gaze upward, as if looking up at a tall column.

We make each PILLAR object by hand in our Tokyo studio using our approach to pate de verre — crushed glass mixed with color powder and pigment, fired in a kiln, then cut and ground by hand into the final hexagonal column. Our process centers on the hand-cutting and grinding that gives each piece its shape. Available in three tones — black, brown, and clear — each piece has its own unique pattern of internal bubbles and gradations of translucency.