Kyouei Japanese design glass vessel

Looking for an offbeat wine glass, table mat, lamp or clock that serves its practical purpose but also gets people talking? Look no further than Japanese design studio Kyouei design, which has some fantastically weird products on offer.

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For instance: it might look precarious and is definitely designed for heavy drinking, but the above glassware really is for the discerning (or at least brave) wine connoisseur. “A device that combines a bulb shaped vessel with a wine glass. As the amount in the drinking glass decreases, a controlled amount is poured from the vessel refilling the glass. The liquid never overflows due to the air and water pressure.”

Kyouei Japanese design firm placemat

Worried about what will happen if the above wine glass-and-decanter combination design does indeed fail you? Not to fear, take this frame napkin and simply pretend that your accident is a work of high art.

Kyouei Japanese design water clock

Straying even further from functional tableware design, here is a an ordinary-looking glass-and-plate set combination that, with the help of a few small floating balls, becomes a water-based clock telling you both the minute and hour when viewed from above. “A minimal clock where the user can use any plate and glass of their choice. The balls float on the water to display the time.”

Kyouei Design musical table

Musical table: “The musical table is an installation of 504 volume controllers on a table top connected to 504 single tune musical boxes. The motor speed of each musical box is adjusted using the volume controllers creating random tunes.”

Kyouei Design dish of light

Dish of light: “This design was created for containing, reflecting and shielding light in a balanced manner. The length of extruded stand plays an important role of supporting the entire structure while the shielding plate can be rotated freely in any direction.”

Kyouei design balloon lamp

Balloon lamp: “This lamp is basically created with a balloon and a LED, made possible because unlike other types of bulbs, LEDs do not generate heat. LEDs are environmentally friendly because they last longer, is energy efficient, and can be used continuously for over 100 hours using the 2lithium-coin battery.”