CRANES OVER MOUNT FUJI ACT 3

It’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since we released the last Holiday brush holder, time truly flies! This year has been both challenging and deeply rewarding, filled with behind-the-scenes work, new encounters that have profoundly shaped our journey. I hope you can feel this synergy and the passion we pour into our craft in every future creation!

I’m thrilled to introduce this year’s brush holder: the Cranes over Mount Fuji Act III. For us, these Holiday editions are all about creating something truly special to share with those who appreciate the story behind each piece.

Even after years of working on brushes and holders, watching a simple sketch transform into a finished piece still feels surreal, almost magical. Every stage of the process is so special, from the moment we discuss an idea to the moment it’s in our hands as a final piece. But when it’s in yours, that’s the most intense moment of all.

Many of you often ask how an idea becomes a finished brush holder, where the process begins, how it evolves, where we find inspiration and how we collaborate. For those curious to learn more, I’m excited to share the story behind this year’s creation.

This summer, I had the chance to be at the manufacture as we were working on this year’s brush holder, being able to see the whole process behind the scenes is so interesting. It gave me a real understanding of the work and costs involved, something I don’t think I could have grasped without witnessing each step in person.

I will share some of those main steps with you in this post, but should you wish to jump to a particular section, please use the direct links below. The section “The inspiration behind this brush holder” was written by my husband, we spent many years working in watchmaking companies here in Switzerland and share a deep passion for this craft, for this reason I thought it would nice if he participated in this presentation post as well.

Sonia G – Mr Iwata, our connection
How an idea evolves into a final piece
The inspiration behind this brush holder (written by Richard G.)
Design features
Function and storage
Measurements, configuration and weight
Care and maintenance
Packaging
Availability and price

Sonia G – Mr Iwata

I feel truly fortunate and honoured to share a special bond with Mr. Iwata and his family. We spend a lot of time together when I am in Japan and we also had the opportunity to meet several times in Paris. We love to visit special places together like Miyajima, gardens or parks, buildings, museums – I am thrilled that we visited Le Louvre and just recently the Simose Art Museum in Hiroshima, and we also both very much enjoy eating!

We talk a lot and we have so much fun together, but what truly connects us is our shared love for art and craftsmanship, it creates a bond that goes beyond words. If you have experienced the same connection with someone, you know what I mean: you share the same emotions without needing the perfect words to express them.

We can be sitting absolutely anywhere and there is a big chance that at some point we’ll just start scribbling.

Every moment spent with him is an opportunity to witness his genuine reactions to art and to share experiences that inspire us both.

I love watching how he engages with wood—whether in a garden, a building, or an object. I captured this photo without him noticing, and it perfectly reflects who he is.

We are both captivated by anything crafted from wood—the grain, the artistry, and the tactile beauty that comes alive when we touch it.

These are precious moments. Just imagine that you love a painting, a sculpture, or a book so much and you get to spend time with the artist who created it, or who wrote it. It’s magical.

HOW AN IDEA EVOLVES INTO A FINAL PIECE

Before we even start sketching, it starts with conversations, we discuss concepts, emotions. Mr. Iwata knows me well—he understands that I work from emotion. It’s not “just” a brush holder, it has to make us feel something once it’s complete.
That’s a challenging aspect because an idea can seem thrilling and look stunning on paper, but sometimes we realize a key feature needs to change or be removed, and that one change can take away all the emotion from the piece.

With artisanal woodworking, there are always constraints, whether it’s the techniques we use, the time it takes to craft each piece, the financial considerations, or the physical limits of angles, joints, and materials. That’s why we can’t always bring every idea to life exactly as imagined. But we embrace these challenges, they push us to think creatively and find solutions.

I have worked with Mr Iwata on different projects, not only brush holders. For this piece, I played around with cardboard with the very keen help of my daughter. That first simple mock-up helped us uncover the challenges we’d need to solve.

Once we’ve answered all the questions and finalized all the measurements, we move on to detailed sketches and start preparing prototypes. Intermediate prototypes are often made from different woods than the ones chosen for the final piece. The whole prototyping process is extremely expensive so we have to be pretty sure we have everything right before we translate a sketch into a 3D digital drawing.

One of the biggest challenges we face—shared by many artisans creating handmade items—is producing a piece that demands significant time and effort during its manufacturing and then pricing it in a way that covers the costs.
We know we will have to carefully plan the number of pieces produced and the time spent on each single one. Lower quantities don’t cover the costs and the time taken for higher quantities is not viable for a production run.

For those reasons, we are extremely grateful, and we thank you for your continuous encouragement and support, it’s truly inspiring to see such deep understanding, love, and appreciation for craftsmanship. It’s wonderful to witness that passion and legacy being passed down through generations, just as it has here with Mr. Iwata.

This project was a true team effort, Mr. Iwata, his team, and my husband (Richard) all contributed ideas and solutions. At first, we imagined having just one moon, then considered painting the reverse side red to represent the sun. Technically, that wasn’t possible, but creating two separate elements—a moon and a sun—worked beautifully. At the same time, my husband and
Mr. Iwata came up with the clever idea of storing these two pieces on the sides during transport and when not in use.

There were also limitations with the finishing techniques, for example we couldn’t use the same finishing techniques as we did previously for the other brush holders due to the open design. We also couldn’t paint the sun red, but we could use two different woods—one for the moon and one for the sun—and add laser-engraved cranes to enhance the design.

The whole process takes time, and sometimes I wish it could move faster because I’m so eager to see the final result. But honestly, the longer it takes, the richer the journey, and I love that. I love watching everyone’s excitement as we work together on these projects.
I have been in their manufacture many times. This past summer, each artisan behind the scenes wrote a short text explaining their role in the manufacturing process and then read it to me, in English, while I was there. They don’t speak English, so they were incredibly nervous. To say I was touched and moved is an understatement… my heart felt like it would burst!

Artisans of all ages work in the factory, and even the younger ones are remarkably skilled professionals who have already made their mark in their craft. We took many photos with all of them them but I cannot publicly show them because of Intellectual Property restrictions. I really wish you could meet everyone in person. They are so grateful to be doing what they love for a community that truly appreciates their work, and that gratitude shines through in everything they do and create.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the process and the people behind the scenes. This is the kind of relationship that I share with all the artisans that I work with, it grows naturally into something truly beautiful and loyal.
Having such an amazing and close connection with you is what makes this whole journey so meaningful for us all, so thank you for being part of this story, and for appreciating the passion and care that go into every piece.

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS BRUSH HOLDER

(written by Richard G.)

For this year’s special edition, we decided to marry Japanese artisan crafts with an inspiration from Switzerland – not chocolate, cheese, nor banks – we couldn’t work out how to integrate these in a brush holder without a bad smell or potential melting issues – but watchmaking. This is a topic we are very passionate about.

One of the complications (a complication being an added function which makes the production more complicated) in watchmaking is the skeleton watch. In this complication, the watch becomes a work of art, all the intricacies are exposed. The finish must be perfect since you can see all the parts inside. We went for this complication since it requires all the parts to be beautifully finished and lets you see the precise machining, the engineering required for stability, and why these brush holders are complicated and require skill to make.

Mr. Iwata also works with metals, since we had already spoken about integrating metal into a design, we thought that adding stainless steel would be perfect for a skeletonised brush holder since it also is one of the major components in watchmaking.

Of course, as with a skeletonised watch, the brush holder doesn’t only have to be beautifully finished but must also be attractive. And so, for the design, we decided to revive the theme of “Cranes over Mount Fuji”.

The design came together quite naturally – Mount Fuji stands, seemingly unsupported, with its peak in the clouds. The brushed steel clouds provide natural contrast, and the brushes stand in the hidden compartments alongside. An interchangeable moon (or sun) rises over Mount Fuji with a flying crane silhouetted in front.

During the development of this brush holder, we couldn’t decide in the narrative if the moon or sun was to be placed over Mount Fuji – we tried different woods of different colours, and in the end decided that we would leave the story up to you – The moon (or sun!) is removable and attachable with magnets, and can be neatly stored in the skeletonized cut-outs on the sides for transport or protection. The story can be changed as often as you like.

Since the brush compartments are skeletonised, this brush holder requires a little extra care when placing the brushes in it- Since the front and rear are non-existent, it is easy to put the brushes through by a mistake, however, with due care, it leaves the handles of your brushes on show to integrate and beautify the scene you wish to display. The stainless steel clouds also require a little care – their finish is with hairline finished stainless steel and can gather fingerprints – We recommend that these are cleaned off with alcohol on a soft piece of fabric to avoid potentially acidic residues staying on the steel too long.

DESIGN FEATURES

The brush holder is crafted using walnut wood for the main body and maple wood for the dividers. The clouds are stainless steel, the moon is maple wood, and the sun is keyaki zelkova wood. The front and the back panels are similar, both showcasing the stainless steel clouds.

The moon and sun pieces are stored on the sides of the brush holder, held securely in place by small magnets.

These magnets are also how these two pieces attach behind the Mount Fuji, there is a little magnet hidden behind the clouds.

You can choose between the maple moon or the keyaki sun. Keyaki has a warmer, orange tone, while maple is lighter and whiter—the contrast is subtle.
We could have opted for more contrasting woods, but we wanted to work with materials that meet specific regulations.

One big difference with this brush holder is its open design, which required us to change the finishing techniques and products used. As a result, the wood feels noticeably different compared to previous holders, it’s less silky smooth and lets you experience more of the natural grain texture on the surface.

You might also notice that the maple moon has a slightly different finish and tone compared to the maple dividers, this is because each element required its own finishing process.

We’ve kept the alcantara lining at the bottom of the brush holder, but this time it had to be carefully placed piece by piece within the carved dividers.

FUNCTION AND STORAGE

A little note to keep in mind: this design is more about beauty than practicality, so it needs extra care when handling or moving it, otherwise, the brushes might slide out.
This piece is perfect for showcasing your most beautiful brushes. Think of it as the elegant display that stays in the background.

If practicality is your priority, the Cranes over Mount Fuji Act 2 or Japanese Gardens designs are better options. They’re easier to handle and offer more storage capacity for brushes. The Cranes over Mount Fuji Act 2 brush holder is unfortunately sold out at this moment.

The compartments are smaller in comparison to the Japanese Gardens or the Mount Fuji Act 2. In the front narrower compartments we can fit 4 of the Traditions Kakishibu eye brushes. In the compartments at the back we could fit 2 or 3 face brushes depending on the size of the handles.

The compartments where the moon or sun elements are placed can also be used for storage, although it will be a little more narrow. We could fit 4 of the PRO eye brushes, but not 4 of the Kakishibu eye brushes.

You can see that even with the moon or sun installed, there is just enough space for the brushes.

MEASUREMENTS, CONFIGURATION AND WEIGHT

DIMENSIONS – This brush holder is 280 mm long, 80 mm high and approximately 60 mm wide, similar dimensions as the previous Japanese Gardens and Cranes over Mount Fuji.
COMPARTMENTS – This design has more compartments than previous brush holders, 12 instead of 10, but that doesn’t mean it can hold more brushes, in fact, it’s the opposite. We had to rearrange the layout to make room for the moon/sun elements behind the Mount Fuji.

These 12 compartments are split in two rows. The front row is thinner (17mm) and the back row is thicker (24mm). The thicker handles can be stored at the back.
One compartment at the front row measures 39mm*17mm
One compartment at the back row measures 39mm*24mm.

The stainless steel clouds make this brush holder heavier than the previous ones. These cloud metal parts are attached at the front and the back of the brush holder.

Weight

Japanese Gardens	330 g
Cranes over Mount Fuji Act 2	390 g
Cranes over Mount Fuji Act 3	430 g

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

This brush holder needs extra care compared to previous designs, mainly because of its stainless steel elements.
When placing brushes inside, take your time, if they’re not aligned properly or if the holder is moved too abruptly, they can slip through the sides.

It’s also quite heavy, so I recommend lifting it by the wooden section. This helps avoid leaving fingerprints on the stainless steel clouds. If fingerprints do appear, they can be easily removed with a soft cloth and/or with a soft cloth and a bit of alcohol (60%-80%).

Finally, keep it away from heated surfaces or heated floors to protect the components and the finish.

THE PACKAGING

The box for this brush holder is crafted from recycled paper made from origami cranes dedicated to the Memorial Tower at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. As noted on the box, part of the proceeds was donated to the Atomic Bomb Dome Preservation Project Fund.

If you’re in Hiroshima and visit Orizuru Tower next to the Peace Memorial Park, you can take part in activities like learning to fold paper cranes. These cranes are later recycled into packaging just like the one we use.

The ones shown here are the ones we made when I visited with Mr Iwata. Maybe one day they will make it into one of our boxes.

AVAILABILITY AND PRICE

It’s been an honor to introduce the incredible people behind the scenes and share the process with you! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out in the comment section below.

This brush holder is Limited Edition, it will be available on Beautylish starting on the 9th of December 2025, at 10am PT and it will retail for 400 USD.