Have you ever wondered why people love vases? It seems that vases are among basic elements of a house setting which fulfill not only a functional purpose, but also an aesthetic one, beautifying your home environment and creating an unique impact. Although empty vases are not as fascinating as those with flowers, a beautiful vase design by itself will always enjoy, even without flowers. It can be used just as decorative items.
Today, we find an extensive range of vases made from a number of materials, often decorated to extend the beauty of its contents and to personalize the interior design of the rooms. With handles or without, small or large, decorated or simple, colored or not, the shapes of vases have evolved from the conventional ones to modern designs and shapes. What we really like nowadays is that vases, as decorative elements for keeping flowers, have in most cases inspiring stories behind their amazing designs which make you like them more. One such example is the appealing and very original collection of sand vases created by Japanese designer Yukihiro Kaneuchi.
Each vase design of this amazing collection resembles sand castle constructed on the beach and the elements within them, the conic shape and the sand, have an interesting significance in Japanese culture and are part of an old Japanese game, called Bou-Toshi. Players make a heap of sand and place a branch in the centre, then each one of them take turns removing sand. The one who causes the branch to fall loses. The sand heap is considered to be an object representative of a divine spirit, while the conic shape represents where god first came in the mythological age.
Besides that, “sand” is also a primitive form for a Japanese flower. Children are not aware of this heritage, and in a sense are unconsciously creating objects representing a divine spirit and completing the ceremony for purifying building sites. The vases feature unique finish, being made of sand and resin, with different shape, some of them appears to near collapse, bringing tension and a fragile frame for the flower placed within. Grouped together or by themselves, these decorative pieces create a designer feel in your home.
Photos by : Yukihiro Kaneuchi.