#58 • 16" Massive Japanese Fishing Float w/ Netting

Part of December 2025 Premier Auction (live auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $425.00

Status: Sold

Category: Glass

Japanese blue-colored glass fishing float heavily wrapped in netting, originally handmade in Japan from recycled glass to serve as air-filled buoy balls supporting large groups of fishnets in the Pacific Ocean. Having long since been replaced by modern materials, many glass floats remain afloat, stuck in a circular pattern of ocean currents in the North Pacific; storms and certain tidal conditions will cause floats to break away from the current and bring them ashore onto the beaches of the Western United States, especially Alaska. The intricately knotted netting allowed the glass floats to be securely fastened to the fishnet. This rather large example measures approximately 16" in diameter, including the netting.