Glass is a common feature across all walks of life, from day-to-day utility wares to lighting, to objects that inspire wonder and affection. Simple or extravagant, affordable or expensive, utilitarian or elegant, glassware will often have personal meaning and value. From its practical application to ornamentation and decoration, glass comes in very many shapes, sculptures and sizes. Glassblowing is a millennia-old tradition and a pursuit that requires great skill, strength and dexterity. Today, the application of glassblowing to lighting design is producing numerous exciting collections. One particular company at the vanguard of this craft is Brokis.
Brokis
Brokis, a high-end lighting brand based in the Czech Republic, has made an indelible impression in the world of lighting design, with its exquisite handblown glass lamps. The brand’s contemporary lighting fixtures often combine glass with materials such as wood and pressed metal, producing bold, eye-catching compositions. Brokis was founded in 2006 by Jan Rabell, an entrepreneur and engineer with a desire to advance and enhance classic Bohemian glassmaking and its generations of traditional craftsmanship. Having previously acquired the ailing 19th century Janštejn Glassworks in Bohemia’s scenic Vysočina Region—the factory’s demise was due to a fall in demand for classic glassware pieces—Rabell set about restoring the glassworks to its former glory.
Under the aegis of Brokis, Rabell introduced a 21st century design vision to the historic Janštejn Glassworks, combining time-honoured craft with new and innovative technologies. At the present time (more than 200 years since it came into being), the Janštejn Glassworks is the largest manufacturer of speciality lighting glass in the Czech Republic, making original luminaires for Brokis. Handsome collections include: Balloons, Puro and Knot.
Balloons
Design by Lucie Koldová and Dan Yeffet, the Balloons are a range of lights that call to mind majestic hot air balloons. Pushing glassblowing to its extreme, the Balloons showcase the unique prowess of Bohemian glassmakers.
Puro
Designed by Lucie Koldová, Puro takes its name from the Spanish word for ‘cigar’. The cigar-shaped phosphorescent tubes are combined with simple bell lights, to produce an intriguing, sculptural form. Puro consists of two versions: a single bell light hanging below a vertical tube and two bell lights hanging below a horizontal tube.
Knot
Designed by Chiaramonte Marin design studio, Knot juxtaposes handblown glass with a coarse natural fibre (making up the rope and knot). Its LED light source is housed in a pressed metal hood. The light is both elegant and industrial in appearance, and consists of four independent models: Sfera, Disco, Uovo and Cilindro.
