At the end of last week, we featured two eastern design stories; and we're going to start this week with another...

This is the meticulous work of Japanese paper craft brand Oey (a name which means 'celebration) who were also at the Salone in Milan, exhibiting as part of Designers Block.

They have have designed a collection of Mizuhiki table pieces, and for those of you who've never heard of it, 'Mizuhiki' are made using Japanese paper which has been twisted, pasted, and heat dried under tension. This process is repeated, and although it remains paper, it develops a flexible strong tension like wire. Oey's designs are not only made by hand, but also intertwined with silk thread, providing colour to the decorative shapes.

This project, led by Ken Yokomizo as creative director, is a contemporary design development of occasion paper table wares such as napkin rings and glass markers, as well as chopsticks. The custom of tying gifts with Mizuhiki is a Japanese tradition that represents a heart to heart connection, and the origin of the practice itself is age old - stretching back to the seventh century.

Oey are continuing this traditional culture of applying Mizuhiki, exploring not only the cultural value as a manner of decorating tables and gifts, but also the technical specifications of paper material at high tension.