Cohana Marking Pins with Glass Beads

The glass-making techniques used to craft the beads are a type of millefiori, or “thousand flowers,” and can be traced back to the Nara period (710-794 A.D.). Trade with Europe and Asia over the centuries also introduced many new techniques and designs to this traditional art. Glass bars are heated in the flame of a burner, carefully shaped and extruded, then attached to the pin. Pins measure approximately 5mm in diameter at the head and are produced lovingly by hand at Kinari Glass works in Osaka. Each pin is entirely unique with its own distinct charm, like a flower. Pins are supple yet durable, and manufactured in Hiroshima, a city with a 300-year history of high-quality needle production. Rigorous quality control ensures unified thickness and length of pins, and their ability to pierce cloth with ease.