Manhole Cover Coasters: Japanese Villages/日本の村
Manhole Cover Coasters: Japanese Villages/日本の村
Villages of Japan
Nodagawa: NOW PART OF YOSANO IN THE KYOTO PREFECTURE, NODOAGAWA (ノダガワ) JOINED THE SILK ROAD TOWNS OF KAYA AND ITAWAKI IN 2006. THE TOWN IS KNOWN FOR ITS PARTICULAR SILK CREPE. THE SYMBOL OF THE MUNICIPALITY DOMINATES THE COVER AND IS SURROUNDED BY AND CONTAINS FLOWER BLOSSOMS.
Shitara Cho: TWO FISH, AYU, SWIMMING THROUGH FLOATING HOSOBA RHODODENDRON. PERFECT FOR PISCES PEOPLE.
Ono: NEAR KOBE, ONO IS A SMALL VILLAGE FOUNDED IN 1954. THE COVER FEATURES ABACUS (SOROBAN) BEADS SURROUNDING A SUNFLOWER CENTER. THE AREA IS KNOWN FOR ITS SUNFLOWER AND ABACUS PRODUCTION.
Gifu: FOR OVER 1300 YEARS CORMORANT FISHING HAS OCCURRED IN GIFU, JAPAN IN LAKES AND IN THE NEARBY NAGARA RIVER. SNARES ARE TIED TO THE NECKS OF THE TRAINED BIRDS TO LIMIT THE SIZE OF THE SWALLOWED FISH. SMALLER FISH ARE EATEN AND LARGER FISH ARE HELD IN THE THROAT AND RETRIEVED BY THE FISHERMEN. TODAY, THIS SYMBIOTIC METHOD IS LARGELY USED AS A TOURISM ATTRACTION, BUT THE METHOD HAS BEEN PRESERVED ON THIS BEAUTIFUL COVER FOUND NEAR GIFU CASTLE. THE COVER SHOWS TWO CORMORANTS CHASING THREE FISH WITHIN AN ABSTRACTED VERNACULAR FISHING BASKET. THE ILLUSTRATION IS A CYCLICAL ORIENTATION AND CLEVERLY APPLIES THE NECESSARY GRIP WHILE SHOWCASING THIS UNIQUE CULTURAL ASPECT.
Make a stand by adding a display stand
Tombino replicates manhole covers from around the world into functional art in the form of coasters, trivets and magnets. Each illustration is initially hand-drawn for precision and then permanently etched into cork. These make the perfect birthday or holiday gift. Each coaster is .25" thick and 4" in diameter. The engraving method has incredible detail and tactility. Fabricated from sustainable Portuguese cork. Designed and packaged in Philadelphia, PA USA.
Cork is a natural material, thus rare aberrations within the etching can occur, but at this scale good luck noticing.
As each one is made to order please allow three business days for delivery.
“We all have three cities: the one in which we grew up, the one where we live and the one in which we wished we live."-Alan Furst
A custom display rack can be ordered too. See the individual trivets and magnets as well.
