invisible snow-globe

A snow globe that contains miniature objects and white particles imitating snow in a transparent liquid. It is a common ornament for enjoying the scenery of snow by shaking itself. When designing a new snow globe, consideration was given to make the scenery appealing and enjoyable for longer than simply in the moment of snow dancing, turning the process and the state after snow accumulation more attractive. To that end, the object inside was camouflaged with transparency. 

Generally, water-diluted glycerin is used to allow the particles in the snow globe to flutter slowly, with a refractive index of approximately 1.333 to 1.475. By creating an object using an ultra-transparent silicone resin with a refractive index as close as possible to this value, its form disappears.

Immediately after shaking the snow globe, nothing else is visible other than the falling snow. As the snow slowly piles up, a vague outline begins to appear. When the snow is completely piled up, the motif emerges clearly in white, and the lower part of the object without snow looks like its shadow. 

Three types of motifs are available for the objects: “flowers,” “smile,”  and “spiral stairs.” By initially erasing the existence of the object, the impression and the role of snow is emphasized, and the design allows enjoyment of visual changes over time.

Client:
ichido°
Collaborator:
Yukiko Tomotsune
Takahiro Fukino
Ketsu Cho
Photographer:
Akihiro Yoshida
filming:
Masahiro Ohgami
Katsuaki Kobayashi
film editing:
Yumika Kanechika
Shimpei Mitani
2022.12