Sori Yanagi has achieved significantly more than the bridging of East and West in his designs. Active in the immediate postwar era, Yanagi's work embodies the optimism of the new industrial age without losing the delicacy and lightness that is so indicative of traditional Japanese design. The organic forms of the mid-century mesh seamlessly with Yanagi's own sensibilities, and appear repeatedly in his prolific career, from lighting and chairs to flatware and teakettles.