Duck Marbles from the Seike family

[shiroaiko]

@Ric Thank you so much for your comment...late or not doesn't matter! 😃I appreciate that you took the time to look so closely at the photos. It’s rewarding to know someone enjoyed them.

The marble you mentioned is one that belonged to the Fairylite box. I'm sure to pass your words to Roberto soon. He is such a generous man, he always shares his marble photos with me. 

About the development of Cat’s Eyes...back in those days, the competition among makers was intense. Creative inventions came out of rivalry, and they grew together through the competition. 

Then, there was a marble makers’ association, and the head was Isogami. He kind of represented the newcomers in the industry, while Seike was more of a pioneer and a loner. You might think Seike would naturally have taken the lead, but that wasn’t the case. The first association was actually formed by newer makers who wanted to buy color glass and other materials in bulk and split the cost. Seike, on the other hand, was independent. He ran his own factory and made everything himself, so he didn’t really need to rely on anybody.

I believe Seike eventually joined the association because the government wanted to unify the industry. When that happened, the organization became naturally divided into two groups.

Later, when wartime industry reform was first planned, the marble industry was supposed to be reduced to two factories—one run by Seike and his allies, and the other by Isogami and his group. But as Japan’s war situation and financial situation worsened, only one factory was allowed to survive. In the end, it was Seike’s side that remained, while Isogami and the others had to leave. All of the marble-making equipment and patents were passed to Seike’s group and used for marble production during the war.

 

[Ric]

@shiroaiko The history is very interesting to me. It's helps put into perspective the beginnings of cat's eye marbles here. As for Seike's marbles, in general, they are intriguing and many are very pretty too. I have collected random swirls, like those produced by various companies in West Virginia (usually referred to as WV Swirls) for a long time. It seems that Seike's swirl marbles span quite a range - from marbles that resemble Alley to others that look more similar to Ravenswood or another WV Swirl maker. Your photos are a beautiful resource. I enjoy looking at marbles, especially those that are new to me. It is fun to compare them with marbles made by American companies.

[shiroaiko]

@Ric I agree with you. Seike’s marbles really do show a wide variety. They are a reflection of both his passion and the times he lived through. He made marbles over a long period, facing many changes—like the depression in the early Showa era, the war, material shortages, and trade restrictions. He had his ups and downs, and all of that reflected in his marbles.

Some of his marbles are beautiful, but after the war, there are also pieces that don't look as good, due to the high content of recycled cullet. I’m not sure whether those were exported or not.

It seems that his company ceased operations around 1959. One main reason (except for his age) was a sudden surge in marble production. A newcomer to the industry, who initially knew almost nothing about marble making, struggled with his new equipment. He asked an engineer named Yasuaki Hosoi to help improve the system. Hosoi turned out to be the right man. The improved system was a great success, and other factories quickly followed. Production grew nearly tenfold in a short time. Overproduction led to a price collapse, and only a few survived. The impact was worldwide; marble makers in Europe and America also shut down. (I will post a translation of Hosoi's memoir in the near future.)

I’ve mainly collected marbles from Japan, the UK, and Germany, so I’m sure I can learn a lot from you about WV swirls. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.