Its name is for the oldest instrument, its form is for the holy land of leather

One day, the god Pan fell deeply in love with the beautiful nymph Syrinx, whom he happened to see. Unable to reciprocate the feelings of the half-beast god, Syrinx transformed herself into a reed by the riverbank to escape. Pan, it is said, cut the reeds from the river, made a flute, and played it to console his heart. Photo : ©︎Kazuhiro Shiozawa, 2020
Instrument making : Radu Nechifor (Owned by Fumiko Sakuraoka)

Optima, originating 500 years ago

The SYRINX logo uses "Optima," an elegant and refined font.

And Optima is a font with a curious connection to leather.

Optima is the masterpiece of German type designer Hermann Zapf (1918-). In 1950, while traveling in Florence, Zapf was struck by an inscription on a 15th-century tombstone he found at the Basilica di Santa Croce. He sketched its form on a 1000-lira banknote he had with him.

Based on that sketch, the 500-year-old design was given new life and reborn as Optima.

Inscription on a tombstone at the Basilica di Santa Croce, Florence

Connecting Sound and Leather

Florence is a city renowned for its artistic leather products, and it can be called a sacred place for leather artisans.
And the Basilica di Santa Croce, which Zapf visited, is a church with a particularly deep connection to leather. The church houses "Scuola del Cuoio," a famous leather school that attracts students from all over the world, and the Santa Croce district has developed into a hub for leather product artisans.

Approximately 40 km down the Arno River from this church, one arrives at a town of the same name, Santa Croce. This is said to be the birthplace of vegetable tanning and is one of the largest tanning districts in Europe. Over 250 renowned Italian leather tanneries are concentrated here.

Seeking soft, heavy leather for sound, SYRINX encountered vachetta leather tanned in Santa Croce, and that's where its journey began. Even today, most of its products use leather tanned in Santa Croce.

Although Optima was adopted for its beautiful proportions, a closer look reveals a series of mysterious connections, almost mystical, suggesting a fateful bond.

Its name comes from the oldest instrument; its form leads to the sacred place of leather.
SYRINX connects sound and leather.