Mount Fuji and clouds in a crystal ball

The ‘Mount Fuji and Clouds in a Glass Globe’ painting captures Japan’s most famous mountain within a perfectly round glass globe. The snow-capped peak rises from a thick layer of clouds that hang like cotton wool around its flanks, whilst the dark slopes shimmer with reddish-brown and grey hues. Behind it all lies black, leaving the sphere as the sole source of light. Here, the glass does more than simply enclose the scene. At the top, a broad reflection of light runs diagonally across the surface, and along the edges the image gently curves with the curvature of the sphere, causing the horizon to bend as it would on a real planet. Tiny glistening specks hang like dust in the air inside the sphere. At the bottom, the glass touches the dark background and casts a soft patch of light there, lending the whole piece a sense of weight and presence.

The muted tones and unique design make this piece ideal for a tranquil setting. Above a desk, in a bedroom or against a minimalist wall, the image really comes into its own.

For anyone who finds Japan special, who loves mountains, or who is drawn to images in which a whole world fits into something small, this is a print that never ceases to fascinate. Mount Fuji stands there, and yet it fits in two hands.