Ichisenshin is a portable tea set. The name comes from a Japanese idiom 一意専心 that means: "With one's heart and soul." For me brewing a cup of tea is how a person can wordlessly show appreciation and affection for others.
The concept for this tea set is portability. Make tea anytime, anywhere. For this reason, the set comes inside a handbag inspired by the grace of Origami to turn flat surfaces into three-dimensional objects. Its simplicity lies in the selection of a single material for seamless construction through laser cutting.
With the mentorship of Junko Tohara, an experienced artisan in natural dyes for fabrics, I designed a handkerchief (tea towel) for the set. It was dye through the traditional indigo dyeing technique, Aizome (藍染め), and finished with handmade Ginsai (銀彩), a silver painting technique. Here is the whole dyeing process of Aizome.
Aizome dye mixture
The dye is bright green at the beginning.
It becomes emerald when oxidised.
After washed, it turns into indigo blue.
Dyed fabrics
Mrs Tohara and the design team
Designer: Daniela Villalobos
Artisan collaborator: Tohara Junko
Technique: Laser cut, Aizome and Ginsai
Product: Tea set handbag
Year: 2018
