nendo has designed a six-piece glassware collection for Lasvit, a crystal glass manufacturer in the Czech Republic. The 'beaver' collection consists of wine glasses, tumblers, whiskey glasses, carafe, flute glasses and shot glasses.
Traditional Czech crystal is decorated by making various cuts into the surface. beaver collection features cuts in the base and stems of the glasses, reminiscent of the marks left in trees as a beaver builds its lodge. A beaver with its sharp teeth will quickly chip away at a tree trunk, winding its way inwards around the tree until it is ready to fall. Emulating this process, the silhouette of the glasses was created by randomly slicing off pieces from the thick base. This is a significant diversion from the normal method of adhering the stem and pedestal to the base of the glass, which has resulted in a design with a sense of tension like a tree that is about to fall down.
The randomly cut glass causes complicated light reflections, creating a glimmer that is unique to crystal; such deep abrasion and the intricate polishing of the glassware are extremely difficult to achieve and was only made possible by the hands of a highly skilled glass artisan.
Photography: Akihiro Yoshida