THE LAST GLASSBLOWERS OF HERAT

In the ancient city of Herat, Afghanistan, where centuries of craft once filled its markets and workshops, only one family remains practicing traditional glassblowing. The Herat Glassblowers are not a collective or a large studio. They are three men bound by blood and by fire — brothers Ghulam Sekhi and Ustad Nasrullah, and Nasrullah’s son, Khairullah. Together, they carry a lineage that stretches back through generations. Today, they are the last remaining glassblowing family in the region. And they feel the weight of that.

A Craft Passed from Father to Son

“I, Ustad Nasrullah, started learning glassblowing when I was seven years old,” he shares. “My father taught me in our workshop, just like his father taught him.”

The learning did not begin in a classroom. It began beside the furnace. Watching molten glass turn liquid and alive. Understanding heat. Patience. Timing. Now, Nasrullah’s own sons have begun learning at the same age. This is how the tradition survives — not through institutions, but through family. For them, glassblowing is not just work. It is inheritance. It is memory made physical. It is responsibility.

“We are the only family left in Herat still practicing this traditional glassblowing,” Nasrullah explains. “This craft was passed down to us from our grandfathers. We feel a big responsibility to keep this tradition alive and to pass it to the next generation.”

Despite decades of conflict and a decline in local demand, they continue with deep pride and responsibility, determined to pass their knowledge to the next generation. For this family, keeping the fire lit is an act of devotion — to their ancestors, to their students, and to one of Afghanistan’s oldest living craft traditions.

Recycled Glass Rounded Tumblers

$18.00

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Recycled Glass Ripple Tumblers

$28.00

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Recycled Glass Tall Tumblers

$18.00

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Recycled Glass Two Tone Goblets

$24.00

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Forged in Fire, SHAPED BY HAND

The work is relentless. Glassblowing demands intense heat — especially in the peak of Afghan summer, when the furnace exceeds 1,200 degrees Celsius. Orders must be fulfilled. The fire cannot wait for comfort.

“For us, it doesn’t matter what kind of glass we make — as long as we have orders, we work with full passion, in summer or winter,” Nasrullah says. “We enjoy the fire, the process, and seeing the final piece come to life.”

Using recycled glass melted in a traditional wood-fired furnace, each vessel is shaped entirely by hand. The rocks and plants used to create its distinct colors are gathered from the surrounding landscape, connecting their work to the land and history of Herat.

There is pride in that process. Pride in knowing that something so fragile begins in flame. Pride in knowing that people across the world now hold their work in their hands.

“What I enjoy most is knowing that we are keeping an old art alive. It makes me proud when I see people inside and outside Afghanistan appreciate our glass. That gives us real happiness.”

Why Preservation Matters

When a craft disappears, it does not fade quietly.
It takes stories with it. Techniques refined over generations. Knowledge that exists only in hands and memory. The Herat Glassblowers are the final guardians of this tradition in their region. Without sustained support and consistent orders, the fire would go out.

Today, dwindling markets, a decline in demand, and a lack of local interest in learning the craft threaten its survival. For years, artisans like Ghulam Sakhi relied on foreign customers to sustain their work. As those markets shrink, so does the future of the craft.

Now, with fewer buyers and little interest among younger generations, the brothers fear that glassblowing in Herat could end with them.

“There is no one else in this country who can do this,” Gholam Sakhi says. “And when we’re gone, it may be the end of glassmaking in Herat forever.”

The brothers are actively looking for ways to educate the next generation of glassblowers. Bringing in new apprentices would allow these skills to extend beyond the family, passing ancient knowledge into new hands.

At OBAKKI, we believe that by supporting generations-old traditions, we can help push inherited knowledge forward — ensuring this ancient craft does not disappear, but evolves and endures.

Our Commitment to the Herat Glassblowers

We are honored to introduce this collection of handblown glassware from Herat — not simply as a product line, but as a partnership. These pieces exist because of sustained collaboration, consistent orders, and a shared commitment to keeping this craft alive for the next generation.

What is happening in Herat, however, is not isolated. Across the world, from Afghanistan to Mexico, traditional crafts are disappearing under the weight of mass production. As a result, generational practices are dying with the elders who hold the knowledge. This is why our work goes beyond selling handmade glassware.

Through long-term partnerships, and through the work of the Obakki Foundation, we focus on creating the conditions that allow craft to survive. Consistent orders provide stability.

Direct access to international markets creates opportunity. Supporting artisan-led initiatives help ensure that knowledge is passed on — not lost. When artisans retain agency and authorship over their work, tradition does not disappear. It evolves.

Every piece of handblown glassware created in Herat carries more than form and function. It carries lineage. It carries survival. It carries fire. And when you bring one into your home, you become part of that continuation.

SHOP THE HERAT GLASSBLOWERS