Cherry Brand Vintage "Chrysoprase" Green Glass Cabochon | 14.5mm Round Fancy Pinched Shape Occupied Japan Green Glass

Very special and highly collectible vintage Occupied Japan Cherry Brand glass from a warehouse buyout of old stock. Found in their original box and packaging. Sold individually by the piece or per dozen. There a almost 2 dozen unopened packets in the box found that still have the Cherry Brand Label. If you want an unopened packet 1 dozen will have to be purchased. This is only while supplies last as these are also sold individually packets will be opened as needed.

14.5mm in diameter by 7.5mm in height. These are classified as a cabochon with the flat bottom with a pinched design dome. There may be slight variations in size and imperfections in the glass. This is due to each one being individually hand made.

Cherry Brand beads and glass stones were made in Osaka, Japan between 1945 to 1952 during the occupation. Cherry Brand was not a company but a group of farmers turned artisans who all sold their glass through a cooperative. These makers were rice farmers by day, and bead glass workers by night in their homes and during the off season making these a true cottage industry made item. The Cherry Brand beads came into popularity near the end of World War II. When American dealers started coming to the bead making districts and requesting the groups of the artisans to make glass beads for them. The samples brought to the artisans for them to duplicate were glasses from other regions such as Czechoslovakia and Venice, this explains why Japanese glass looked like it was made in other regions. Production peaked in 1951. After that, the orders from American dealers gradually declined and eventually ceased at the end of the U.S. Occupation.