Spiral of Life Primær funksjon: Glassbordservise by Keiji Ishikawa

Spiral of Life Primær funksjon: Glassbordservise by Keiji Ishikawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award i Gull in Bakeutstyr-, Servise-, Drikkeutstyr- og Kokekardesign Competition Category.

GullKjøkkenutstyr· 2026

Spiral of Life Primær funksjon: Glassbordservise

by Keiji Ishikawa

Client: KJ studio

A' Design Award i Gull Winner in Kjøkkenutstyr Category

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Colors

The Design

About Spiral of Life Primær funksjon: Glassbordservise

Boktekst: I en fusjon av matematisk struktur og kinetisk kunst presenterer prosjektet Spiral of Life en ny retning for Kiriko-glass. Dette verket fanger naturens organiske svingninger i et glassmedium. Utviklingen oppsto fra et samarbeid mellom designeren og Ree, en malingsdanser. Ved å oversette Fibonacci-sekvenser til bevegelse ga Ree det konseptuelle rammeverket for designet. Gjennom spiralforhold på 8 til 13 og 13 til 21 forbinder håndverkeren tradisjonelt håndverk med biomatematikk. Den resulterende harmonien tilbyr en rytmisk opplevelse som gjenspeiler verdens naturlige puls.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award i Gull

Spiral of Life Primær funksjon: Glassbordservise er vinner av A' Design Award i Gull, en enormt prestisjefylt anerkjennelse som tildeles førsteklasses, praktfulle og enestående design. Gullvinnere er usedvanlig nyskapende, visjonære og glamorøst blendende skaperverk som gjenspeiler designernes geni, visdom og dyktighet. Spiral of Life Primær funksjon: Glassbordservise forventes å være en høyt rost, trendsettende og monumental oppfinnelse som gir enestående verdi. Dette designet, som har vunnet A' Design Award i Gull, er et spektakulært, respektert prosjekt som i høy grad gagner og flytter grensene for kunst, vitenskap, design og teknologi. Spiral of Life Primær funksjon: Glassbordservise skaper intense følelser av begjær, vekker lidenskap, oppmuntrer til kreativitet og fascinerer oss.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Fibonacci spirals follow strict mathematical laws yet appear organic and asymmetrical, resisting simple geometric repetition. Traditional Kiriko requires precise vertical and horizontal guidelines before cutting; however, standard grids cannot capture this natural fluctuation while ensuring reproducibility. To solve this, I developed a hybrid approach: maintaining the Fibonacci count with guidelines while manually adjusting each cut to ensure a smooth, living trajectory.
Dimensions & Packaging: The product dimensions are as follows: The rock glass is 77mm in diameter and 92mm in height, as shown in the main image. In optional image #1, the wine glass is 58mm in diameter and 150mm in height. In optional image #2, the soba cups are 81mm in diameter and 62mm in height. In optional image #3, the sake cup is 60mm in diameter and 60mm in height. Finally, the top views of the sake cup and soba cup filled with water are shown in optional image #4.
Tags: kiriko, cutglass, japaneseglassware, glassart
Production Technology: The double-layered glassware is carefully ground and polished by hand using Japanese Kiriko cut glass technology.
Design Challenge: Through rigorous prototyping, I established a specialized system. Smaller vessels like sake cups use an 8 to 13 spiral ratio, while larger items like wine and rock glasses employ a 13 to 21 ratio to maintain proportion. For vessels with decorative bases, such as a soba cup, I meticulously integrated an 8 to 13 spiral on the bottom to enhance aesthetic coherence. This precise scaling was essential to capturing the Spiral of Life across the entire collection.
Research: A true Fibonacci spiral requires clockwise and counterclockwise counts to be adjacent numbers in the sequence. To ensure visual balance and mathematical integrity, I conducted extensive research to determine the optimal pairings, such as 8 to 13 or 13 to 21, based on specific glass diameters and curvatures. This study ensured that the mathematical beauty remains consistent.
Inspiration: I initially struggled to translate the relationship between the sun and the sunflower into glass. The breakthrough came via my daughter Ree, an artist and paint dancer, who shared my fascination with the sunflower Fibonacci spiral. This pattern blends mathematical law with organic asymmetry. Ree physicalized this sequence by synchronizing her leg drawn spiral counts with Fibonacci numbers. Witnessing this kinetic manifestation inspired me to transpose these complex spirals onto Kiriko glass.
Project Duration: The project started in December 2025 in Tokushima, Japan, and finished in February 2026.
Operation Flow: The streamline motifs are executed with wide-angle V cuts. When viewed from the side, patterns on the far surface refract through the front, creating complex layered intersections that evoke the mystery of life. From a top-down perspective, the precise Fibonacci sequence achieves a profound, harmonious balance. The design invokes a rhythmic and engaging experience, mimicking a living pulse. This interaction between light and geometry brings dynamic vitality to the glassware.
Patents: The design is being applied for design registration and will receive copyright protection for registered designs in December 2026 in Japan.
Image Credits: Video Credits:
To demonstrate the rhythmic harmony and life-like pulse of the design, the video showcases the glassware in rotation. This highlights how the patterns shift and intersect dynamically as the perspective changes, illustrating the Spiral of Life concept through the interaction of light, shadow, and the intricate Kiriko hand cuts.