Tombo-dama Sewing Pins - Cohana

These exquisite sewing pins feature a tombo-dama glass bead on the head. Tombo-dama beads are a Japanese traditional craft, produced in a variety of colors and unique designs by master craftsmen. Tombo-dama literally means "dragonfly's eye" because these beautiful glass beads resemble the mysterious eyes of dragonflies. 

Cohana's Tombo-dama Sewing Pins are made with "millefiori," which means " thousands of flowers'' in Italian. It is a glass rod with a floral pattern inside.The pattern of a Millefiori rod is designed by combining colored glass bars. In the very beginning the rod is short and Thick, but it is heated in a furnace and pulled until a diameter of 3 to 8 mm while still maintaining the cross section's design.

Artisans utilize the manufacturing techniques of Tombo-dama, using millefiori made in-house, carefully welding each piece by hand. Millefiori rods are heated in the flame of a burner, carefully shaped and extruded, then attached to the pin. Pins measure approimately 5mm in diameter at the head and are produced lovingly by hand at Kinari Glassworks in Osaka. Each pin is entirely unique with its own distinct charm, like a flower.

Pins are supple yet durable, and manufactured in Hiroshima, a city with a 300-year history of high-quality needle production. Rigorous quality control ensures unified thickness and length of pins, and their ability to pierce cloth with ease.

Assorted 3-sewing pin set
3 assorted sewing pins. Colors and patterns cannot be assigned.