Mikimoto used Ama divers to look after his cultivated pearls on Mikimoto Pearl Island, near Toba city.
We talk about what creativity means for a woman and a mother - and how men have influenced Amalia's growth as a mother and an artist.
Utilising special techniques to hold their breath for up to 2 minutes at a time, they would work for up to 4 hours a day in order to gather abalone, seaweed and other shellfish.
No doubt someone of our era would romanticize such a time, but I embrace that illusion.