Interview about Butterfly Brooch, winner of the A' Jewelry Design Award 2022
This hand-crafted wearable art piece can be worn as an accessory or even displayed at home. Using a novel double-sided 3D embroidery technique, the same pattern was simultaneously stitched on both sides of the piece. Its thin, powdery, and shiny wings could be reproduced with single strands and wires, resulting in a lifelike 3D butterfly with form-changeable wings. The wings were attached firmly to pedestals so they will not easily come off. The genuine gold and platinum threads used are so hard that until now, they have never been used in Japan’s embroidery industry.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsI taught myself embroidery, and 30 years ago I invented and created the "3D embroidery" technique that is currently gaining attention on social media.I was fascinated by the shape and pattern of a butterfly's wings as it fluttered about, and wanted to create a butterfly that could open and close its wings to move and shape like a real butterfly. I analyzed many butterflies to create a work that was as close as possible to the real thing in terms of the shape, movement, and texture of the wings, and developed a unique double-sided 3D embroidery technique that combines a unique wire technique and double-sided embroidery.The design, which is delicately stitched with a single strand of various types of thread and perfectly reproduces the thinness and shine of a butterfly's wings, radiates beauty like a living butterfly itself. With the unique double-sided 3D embroidery technique, not only the front side when the wings are open, but also the back side when closed is beautifully finished.While the work is completely three-dimensional when viewed from any angle, it is also possible to freely change the shape of the wings. With this technique, I was able to express a realistic and elegant butterfly design that looks as if it were alive.From designs that recreate realistic butterflies such as the Helena Morpho butterfly, to engraved butterflies adorned with natural stones and pearls, to platinum butterflies and real gold butterflies lavishly incorporating diamonds and pearls, we have created a wide variety of designs. Each piece has its own unique brilliance and elegance that captivates the viewer.
After seeing a news report about an obi sash that used real gold and platinum threads to depict the Kinkaku-ji Temple in weaving, I wanted to make platinum butterflies and real gold butterfly jewelry using these threads, so I began researching how to obtain them.Real gold and platinum threads were specially developed by a thread manufacturer in Nishijin, Kyoto for companies that make obi and uchikake kimonos, and are extremely valuable and not available to the general public. In order to obtain such thread, I was introduced to someone who does business with a thread manufacturer, and after six months of work, I was finally able to get my hands on it.Although the manufacturer told me that "it is intended for weaving, and is too hard to use for embroidery," I succeeded in creating platinum butterflies and real gold butterflies using my own unique techniques.
The four wings, finished using a unique wire technique and double-sided embroidery, are attached to a brooch pin, and the butterfly itself is designed as a brooch. After years of trial and error and experimentation, we developed a unique technique that pursues durability so that the wings would not break when repeatedly opened and closed.By tailoring the brooch pin to the body of the butterfly, we have created a brooch with the shape and movement of a real butterfly, with the wings able to open and close freely. This design recreates an elegant and lively butterfly, as if it were alive.
The right wing is embroidered from below, and the left wing is embroidered from above, using a unique wire technique on both sides. Due to the difference in stitching, the left wing tends to be larger, but in order to finish the left and right wing symmetrically, the embroidery is carried out simultaneously with great care.Platinum and real gold threads are very hard, so if you pull the thread as in normal embroidery, it will float off the fabric, and conversely, if you pull it too hard, the wing will become smaller and the balance between the left and right will be lost. Furthermore, since it is difficult to redo double-sided embroidery, we learned the technique of finely controlling the strength of the thread through repeated failures.In addition, embroidering the entire wing with only platinum thread would give a heavy impression, so we expressed lightness and elegance by adding openwork to the wing. However, it is very difficult to embroider openwork patterns with hard threads, and even if we pull the thread carefully to avoid breaking it, it sometimes breaks. We researched this issue repeatedly and finally succeeded.By combining these techniques and ingenuity, we have achieved a beautifully balanced, light and elegant butterfly design.
When making a butterfly brooch, the hands and arms are subjected to about four times the force of normal embroidery because very hard platinum thread is used. Therefore, after a short stitch, the hands were rested, and the details were carefully adjusted, while checking the stitching position, the tension of the thread, and the thread passing through one by one. This process was more difficult than expected, and there were many failures before the design was completed as designed, but by further strengthening the unique double-sided three-dimensional embroidery technique, the result exceeded the initial image.The wings were made thinner and more delicate, and were designed to give off a beautiful shine, and the openwork pattern was applied to express lightness and elegance. In addition, the challenge of sewing the diamonds was also realized. By fixing the four wings to a brooch pin, the butterfly itself was designed as a brooch, and the movement of opening and closing the wings like a real butterfly was successfully reproduced. It took six months to make, but the intricate and lifelike butterfly brooch was completed, and it turned out to be a beautiful piece of jewelry.
The 3D embroidered Sayoko butterfly brooch features an elegant design that allows you to open and close the wings like a real butterfly. It can be enjoyed as art on a frame like a butterfly specimen, but on special occasions it can also be used as an accent to your outfit.When traveling or cruising, gently remove the real butterfly from the frame as if you were grabbing it, and fold the wings and store it in a special pouch. When you go out, you can attach it to your shoulder or fingertips to match your outfit for dinner or a party, and enjoy an elegant look. When you return home, return it to the frame and create your own special space as if you were keeping a butterfly.This brooch is designed to be expressed in a variety of ways to suit the wearer's personality and style, and is designed with a story to be enjoyed as both art and jewelry.
The butterfly brooch uses platinum and real gold threads that have never been used before, and its delicate texture and shine were difficult to capture in photographs. However, Fukumi Tadaishi and Atsushi Inoue deeply understood my image and requests, and took the best photos possible. Furthermore, when Murakami Fumiko was in charge of translation, she repeatedly asked detailed questions about the double-sided three-dimensional embroidery method and the type of thread, and worked hard to accurately convey the excellent points and unique charm of this brooch.It was only thanks to the expertise and passion of these three team members that we were able to convey the charm of this piece to so many people.
Brooches are generally thought of as worn on the chest, but this butterfly brooch is finished lightly with a unique three-dimensional embroidery technique. The brooch part is designed to be inflated like a torso, so it can also be fastened to the shoulder or a ring. When you pull it lightly, the torso becomes a stopper, and you can enjoy the beautiful appearance of a butterfly landing on your shoulder. This design can be used by both men and women. By sharing it with your lover or spouse and wearing it according to your own style, you can express yourself in a variety of ways. The butterfly brooch is an art jewelry that can express various things according to the wearer's personality and style, unlike the jewelry you have worn until now.
The butterfly brooch is made with a single strand of hard, thin platinum thread, and a unique double-sided 3D embroidery technique that allows the back to have the same finish just by stitching the front, giving it the thinness of a butterfly's wings. In addition, a unique technique of stitching gold and glitter threads as if they were added delicately reproduces the powdery and glossy feel of the butterfly's wings.In addition, the platinum thread is stitched with real gold thread as if it were dyed, highlighting the subtlety of the colors and the three-dimensional effect. To soften the heavy impression of the platinum thread, a filigree technique is used to create a light and elegant look. In pursuit of the brilliance of jewelry, diamonds are set in a four-pronged setting and sewn onto the wings.By making full use of these techniques, a platinum butterfly with diamonds that is thin and powdery yet shiny is completed. As an intricate and beautifully shining piece of jewelry, it has a delicate and lifelike finish, just like a real butterfly.
When it comes to jewelry, it is usually thought of as something that is stored in a jewelry case and worn on occasions. However, my butterfly brooch overturns that concept and proposes new artistic value. This brooch can usually be displayed on the frame and appreciated as a work of art like a butterfly specimen, but on special occasions, it can be removed from the frame and stored in a special pouch as if holding the wings of a real butterfly. When you go out, you can attach it to your shoulder or fingertips at dinner or a party and spread the wings as if a butterfly is resting, enhancing your outfit for the day and creating an elegant and sophisticated style. When you return home, you can put it back on the frame and enjoy it in your daily life as if you were keeping a butterfly.In this way, this work, which has a story that connects jewelry and art, and even everyday life and special occasions, opens up new possibilities in jewelry making. Jewelry can be established as not just a decorative item, but as an art piece that you can love, touch, and feel a story in your daily life. This approach will be an opportunity to create multifaceted values that go beyond the boundaries of decorative items in future jewelry making, and will inspire you to further expand the artistry of jewelry.
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