Hamzeh Natsheh

Near East The Palestinian Territories

Year(s) attended: 2009

Natsheh Handicrafts

Hebron Glass

The tradition of Hebron glass dates back to the 13th century when camel caravans that were guarded by both the official armies and private guards carried the glass in special wooden boxes across regional borders to markets.  The Natsheh Handicrafts workshop is a family group that is carrying on this ancient tradition of mouth blown, hand-decorated glass that is passed down from generation to generation.  Now using recycled coca-cola bottles and a steel pipe or kammasha, 1-1.5 meters long, the glasswork is blown at 1,000 degrees Celsius, then left for eight hours to cool.  This tradition is threatened due to decrease in tourism, problems of export, and restrictions on movement of Palestinians.