Japanese glassblowers create the world’s first playable glass violin

10 April 2025, 14:48 | Updated: 10 April 2025, 15:06

Japanese artisans have dedicated their glass-blowing skills to a life-like instrument that sounds akin to its wooden cousin.

We’ve seen gorgeous violins made of sponge, tennis rackets played like violins, and zero-gravity violins, but what about violins made of glass?

Japanese glassblowers have turned their chops to replicating the string instrument – so closely that they’ve created an extraordinary glass violin that can actually be played like the real thing.

Glass manufacturer HARIO’s violin has been crafted with the instantly recognisable shape of a violin and beautifully evenly distributed glass so as to render it playable.

It has its distinctive F holes, four strings – made out of glass like the main body of the instrument – a long glass neck topped by an ornate scroll, and a classic 3D shape of any standard violin.

Read more: This violin maker has created the perfect miniature violins

The instrument, designed to be played with a horsehair bow (because glass-on-glass scraping, however expertly executed, isn’t something any of us would want to hear), weighs a remarkable 1,300 grams (3 lb), which is about 600 grams heavier than a typical wooden violin, and has a price tag of £28,000 ($36,000).

What does the playable glass violin sound like?

According to the makers, HARIO, the glass violin sounds like a cross between the traditional Japanese wooden string instrument, the kokyū, and the Western violin. It’s most resonant registers are the higher ones, where the delicate glass really sings.

Read more: 1715 Stradivarius sold for $23 million becomes most expensive violin in history

What is glassblowing?

Glassblowing is a traditional technique used to shape molten glass into decorative and practical shapes, developed in the First Century BC.

The glass is heated until it liquidises, and is blown and moulded into distinctive spherical shapes as it cools and hardens back into a solid, brittle texture.

HARIO is a Japanese company established in 1921, famous for its glass coffeeware. The company made its glass violin in 2003, and it has just been recognised officially by the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ with the title of world’s “first playable glass violin”.