Sand and fire,
made for the mantelpiece.
A small Stourbridge studio working in the old glass quarter. Vessels, lighting and tableware drawn from the furnace by hand. One piece, one breath, one chance to get it right.
A working hot shop in the old glass quarter — same trade Stourbridge has had since the seventeenth century.
Furnace & Breath is a one-bench studio off Wollaston Road. The furnace runs at 1100 degrees, the glory hole a touch hotter. Every piece begins as a gather of molten glass on the end of an iron rod and ends — if we're lucky and the breath holds — on a shelf, or a table, or a mantel.
The work splits between commissioned pieces for private clients and a small line of decorative vessels and tableware. Studio open days run monthly. Drop in, see the furnace, take something home. The kiln is always warm.
Eight pieces
from the bench.
A rotating selection of recent work. Some are stocked in the studio; others are made fresh to commission. Prices indicative — a quote follows a proper conversation.
Ember Vessel
“Single piece. Glowing core, smoke-black lip.”
Crucible No. 4
“Heavy base. Each one carries the maker's mark.”
Mantel Light
“Made to order. Specify length and finish.”
Ribbon Vase
“Amber and cream cane drawn at the bench.”
Hearth Bowl
“Twelve-inch shallow form. Ember-red interior.”
Foundry Decanter
“Holds a generous measure. Iron-stand option.”
Lantern Pair
“Pair, dressed for a hallway or stairwell.”
Studio Tumbler
“Stocked in the studio. Buy individually.”
From gather to anneal.
Gather
A rod of iron, dipped into the furnace, pulls a glowing ball of molten glass — a gather — back to the bench.
Shape
Wood blocks, wet paper, jacks and a long breath down the rod. The form comes from the maker's hand against the heat.
Colour
Powdered oxides, hot-applied cane, threadwork. Stourbridge has done this for four hundred years and we keep the recipes.
Anneal
Sixteen hours in the kiln, cooling by degrees. Rush it and the piece cracks before it leaves the shelf.
Brick walls, iron rods,
and a furnace that doesn't sleep.
Pick up the rod.
Make something.
Ninety minutes at the bench with us. You'll gather molten glass from the furnace, shape a small tumbler or paperweight, choose its colour, and watch it go into the kiln. Posted out the following week, properly annealed.
We asked for a pair of lanterns for the hallway and were sent something that catches the morning light and holds the room together. The kind of thing you only get when one person makes it, start to finish.
Come and feel
the heat.
The studio is open by appointment most weeks and on monthly open days. Phone first — if the furnace is up and we're mid-piece, we'll find a window where you can watch the work properly.
18 Wollaston Road, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8
The furnace is up, the kettle's on.