Hebron Glass and Ceramics, Hebron

The city of Hebron, located in the southern West Bank, is known for its wonderful glass blowing. Archaeologists discovered Hebron glass artifacts dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries. The stained glass windows in the structure built over the Cave of the Patriarchs date to the 12th century. At one point there were 14 glass factories in Hebron. Now there are only two, due to the problems of export, the decrease in the number of tourists, and the restrictions on the movement of Palestinians. The family of Hamdi Natsheh, the owner of the Hebron Glass & Ceramics Factory, has been blowing glass for many centuries. They make their beautiful glass products from recycled glass.

Glass blowing was invented by Phoenicians between 400 and 50 BC, somewhere along the Syro-Palestinian coast. Glassworkers discovered how to expand a molten blob of glass by introducing some air into it. The glassblower uses a long pipe to inflate the molten glass into a rough shape, and then works it into its desired shape using a metal instrument called a kammasha.



The Natsheh family is continually experimenting to produce new and unique pieces of glass. Two years ago they discovered a method for making what they have dubbed "Phoenician glass" because of its similarity to the glass items from the Phoenician glassblowers. Making Phoenician glass is a two-step process. First, they use molten recycled glass of a single color to shape an item. Then they add other colors into the top layer. What the buyer gets is a beautiful piece of luminescent glass with swirled colors. Each piece of glass is unique. These glass items can serve a function or be displayed as works of art.