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The Gourd Seed
Concept
Concept
We take in natural objects that are not unusual into our lives.
Based on our motto to create goods from scratch,
we make our lamps using gourds that are grown from seeds.
Our products are artistic gourd lamps that are unique in this world and are made from natural items.
About Gourd
It is a plant of the Cucurbitaceae family native to Africa, and from long ago it has been used all over the world for practical purposes such as decorations and vessels.
In Japan, it has been treated as a treasure for a long time and has been used as a pattern for Shinto ritual tools and for Japanese decorations.
The gourds we use have been carefully grown in-house, dried after harvest and only those with a good shape were carefully selected to be processed into lamps. A fully dried gourd is light but hard and sturdy.
TheGourd
Grow
May
The gourds that sprouted in May are susceptible to cold, so they are grown in the greenhouse.
April
Gourd planting begins in April when snow still remains. The gourds that start budding in
November
The gourds are naturally raised and have different sizes and shapes. Each of them is unique and is designed and carved individually by hand, taking advantage of its unique properties.
After the drying process, we carve the image on each gourd while taking account of each one’s character.
October
The gourds that live through the typhoon in autumn will reach its harvesting season in October when it starts getting cold.
After they are harvested, the seeds and fruit contents are removed, the gourds are then soaked in water, dried, designed, engraved.
August
The fruits also grow bigger and form their peculiar shapes. Their shells harden around September.
How to make a gourd lamp from the seed
July
The plants grow rapidly with plenty of sunshine during the summer, and in July, beautiful white flowers start to bloom and turn to fruits.
The carving process is very delicate, and because each gourd has its own thickness and hardness, we rely on the sensation that the knife transmits to the hand.
The last process is to smoke the gourds to give the intended color and finish. This is a whole-day process that requires a constant watch of the heat of the oven until the intended color is achieved.
In spring, new seeds are sown, and they turn into lamps at the beginning of winter, nine months later.
In spring, new seeds are sown, and they turn into lamps at the beginning of winter, nine months later. Gourd lamps are unique items that are carved by hand.
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