An Entire Bookstore in a Cork?? Impressive Miniature Cork Art by Cobtoya

WeXpats
2023/01/17

We’ve all seen impressive miniature art, but have you ever seen anyone create them inside corks? Artist Cobtoya (pronounced Co-b-toe-ya) creates miniatures they find cute, and this is their newest series. Entire rooms are created with the greatest care and attention to detail inside hollowed out corks. Check it out!

 

Cobtoya’s pinned tweet uses the hashtag #多分私しかやってない (tabun watashi shika yattenai) which means “I’m probably the only one who does this” and has 13,000 likes. It’s hard to get a sense of the size when the cork art is seen on its own and zoomed in, but having a hand in the photo is helpful! It’s about the size of one’s thumb. 

Here’s one of their more popular creations, the bookshop. It even lights up inside.

 

But how is it made? 

Here’s a video of the process of making the bookstore, starting with the stained glass window and shelves, putting in the books little by little, and adding finishing touches until the room is complete.

 

You can see from the photos below just how small the books are and how carefully and meticulously each one must be placed on the shelves to complete the look.

Other Works in the Cork Art Series

Cobtoya has already created several works within their cork art series. Let’s take a look at some of them. 

Here’s a video showing a closeup of one called “A lush, green small room”. It also lights up. All of the lights are battery operated and come with an on/off switch.

 

Here’s a person relaxing in the work called “A Fleeting Moment”.

 

And here’s an especially detailed work called “secret den”. The tiny picture frame is incredible! 

 

Cobtoya has also made some cork art that are vertical. The amount of care that goes into each one can be seen from the “in progress” second photo compared to the finished products in the first and third photos! 

 

And there’s even Halloween versions: 

 

And if you think it’s just the inside that has all the details, think again!

Details of the Cork Art 

Let’s take a moment to appreciate some of the finer details that go into each work. 

For example, look at this tiny yet sophisticated wine bottles! Considering the size of the cork, these bottles must be so small!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by こびと屋 (@cobtoya)

 

And take a closer look at the stained glass attached to the outside, which truly accomplishes its purpose when light is let through.

 

And a personal favorite, check out this tiny shelf which holds so many different even smaller trinkets, including a clock, plant, picture frame, books and bottles. It’s so cute and must be so fun imagining where to put it within the cork art. 

The Miniature People

And as if that wasn’t enough to convince you how incredibly talented and creative Cobtoya is, they also create their own miniature people that they put inside! 

It’s incredible how they start as these white figurines, but with paint, they come to life. Watch how these two go from white faceless figures to a beautiful couple on a date!

 

They’re so small yet look like they have expressions and personalities of their own. Plus they’re fashionable!

 

Cobtoya has created so many of these miniature people, both for the cork art and for other works. Take a look!

Other Works

Before creating the cork art series, Cobtoya created other miniature works. 

For example, here’s one using a photo frame to capture a romantic scene, complete with a lit-up moon.

 

Here’s a little house that can fit in the palm of your hand. It’s so small yet looks so welcoming and warm inside! 

 

And speaking of warm, they’ve even created a miniature fireplace. The flickering lights imitate flames perfectly. 

To Close

Cobtoya sells some of their work on the site Minne at https://minne.com/@cobtoya. It’s the perfect gift, either for yourself or a loved one, to decorate on a shelf. It doesn’t take up much space but will be sure to draw attention!

Follow them on Twitter and Instagram so you don’t miss their next work! And comments are also welcome, no matter what language you speak!

Photos provided courtesy of Cobtoya.

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WeXpats
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