I designed this product for the SVA Made in Yame program, which was created in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art Store. I traveled to Yame, a small town in Japan known for its traditionally trained craft masters. Along with a delegation of designers, we visited the studios of over a dozen artisans.

The objective was to design products that showcased the craftsmen's skills while being suitable for distribution across MoMA's wholesale and retail channels.

I sketched this product in Japan and created the physical prototype at the Visible Futures Lab at the School of Visual Arts after visiting a traditional toy-making factory in Yame. The factory specialized in spinning tops with bright, highly saturated colors and featured a digital lathe, which was a novelty at the time.

The Hive Honeyspoon was also inspired by the thoughtfully selected, often custom-made implements used in everyday life in Japan. Even in middlebrow restaurants, items like ceramic plates and utensils are carefully chosen to complement individual menu items. The idea of a standing honey spoon with its own holster to prevent dripping seemed fitting.

The prototype was made from laser-cut basswood, which I painted and stacked on a dowel and sanded to get the 'tear drop' shape. The shape was intended to look like a drip of honey.

The uneven, burnt look of the prototype was an unintentional byproduct of the laser-cutting process. Though it looks less modern, it possesses a 'wabi-sabi' aesthetic. I also produced a metal version of the spoon without a stand.