A B O U T    
L A M P W O R K I N G

"Lampwork" is the craft of making small objects from glass that has been melted in the flame of a torch. The "lamp" in lampwork came from the oil lamps and blowpipes originally used in seventeenth century France and Italy.

The craft of glassworking began with the Syrians around 1700 BC and the Egyptians around 1450 BC. The people of Hellenistic and Roman times perfected glass technology to such a point that intricate portraits and mosaics were made into tiny beads. In medieval Europe, glass making and lampworking was a secret passed from father to son. The secrets of glass making were and still are jealously guarded in Venice, which became the glass and beadmaking center of the world during the Renaissance.

The first book on glass making was published in the 17th century by a Florentine glassmaker named Antonio Neri. Beads then became relatively cheap to produce and were carried as ballast in the trade ships of early explorers and used as currency at their destination. Glass beads were exchanged for furs, tobacco and sugar in the Americas and for slaves, ivory and gold in Africa.

The evolution toward mass production in the 20th century was countered by Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movement which stressed the importance of elegant design and individual craftsmanship in everyday objects. The emphasis of bringing good design within everyone's reach continues to play a strong role in the artistry of beadmaker's today.

Glass is no longer a rare and precious commodity reserved for an elite few. The technology is no longer shrouded in secrecy. Today there is a growing community of artisans who share their joy and creative energy with each other, guided by the principal of making beauty affordable and available to all.

Today, the artist uses a special torch to melt the glass rods, and a kiln to anneal the beads to help prevent cracking.

A lampwork artist understands the glass and the torch, knowing how much heat it takes for glass to flow, how much heat can be applied to a bead that's already shaped before it becomes molten again and loses shape, when to add decorative effects, and how different colors of glass interact with each other. Lampworking is a skill that takes a great deal of practice.

Beads can be as plain or as decorative as the artist likes. Multiple layers of glass can be added, as well as different colors, to create different effects.

A variety of colors, textures, and designs are created by the glass artist.

Each glass bead is as unique as the artist herself!

For a more in-depth article see The Origins of Glass in the Near East by Mag Alef

Further Reading
Making Glass Beads by Cindy Jenkins
The History of Beads From 30,000 B.C. to the Present by Lois Sherr Dubin, Robert K. Liu