Hair Accessories As A Work Of Art

Japanese artist Sakae creates delicate floral hair accessories using colorful resins and wires. In Japan, these decorative hairpins are known as kanzashi, and today Japanese women wear them with kimono on special occasions. Sakae refers to his craft as “dipping in a flower”, which includes making flower-shaped metal wires and dipping them into liquid plastic. Once the individual petals, leaves, and buds have dried up, the artist combines them to create glass bouquets of lively cherry blossoms, cloves, lotus flowers, and much more.

The tradition of wearing kanzashi began in the prehistoric period of Zemon (1000 BC) when the Japanese believed that the rods of the pin had special power and ability to chase away evil spirits. Only in the Edo period (between 1603 and 1868) did women start wearing decorative hair accessories exclusively for fashion. During this time, hairstyles became larger, more extravagant, and required more pins and combs. Craftsmen then began to produce a range of decorative kanzashi, and some accessories were even designed for use as protective weapons.

Sakae continues the kanzashi tradition, capturing the fragility of vibrant flowers with amazing details, and invites fans of her craft to “decorate their hair with flowers, butterflies, and other objects captured forever in their prime.