The art of glassblowing possibly dates back to the 1st century BCE when Syrian craftsmen invented the ancient art form, which was practised in modern-day Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt and Iraq. Srila Mookherjee, known for her innovative glass art, explored its history and techniques in a special lecture titled ‘Fire and Form’, presented in collaboration with the Crafts Council of West Bengal at Daga Nikunj recently
Photos: Crafts Council of West BengalSrila studied ceramics at the National Institute of Design, where she is a faculty now, and learnt the art of glassblowing under the guidance of Antony Stern in London. Her work is exhibited worldwide and she is dedicated to promoting glass art in India
In ancient times, it was believed that phenomena involving high temperatures — like lightning strikes, the impact of meteorites and volcanic eruptions — often resulted in rocks forming into unique glass shapes after cooling and solidifying
During the lecture, Srila introduced the audience to the fascinating art of glassblowing. This intricate process begins by inflating molten glass into a bubble using a blowpipe, followed by meticulous shaping into various forms, while the glass remains hot and pliable. A few samples of Srila’s blown glass pieces were displayed for attendees to admire
She guided the audience through the intricate details of the craft — emphasising the critical aspects of temperature control, the continuous process of heating and cooling, rotating the pipe, and more — opening up a whole new world to the listeners
‘The Crafts Council of West Bengal initiated a lecture series in 2023 to promote and preserve our ancient crafts and weaves, aiming to disseminate knowledge and safeguard our invaluable heritage.‘Fire and Form’ was a part of one such initiative,’ said Oindrilla Dutt, vice-president of the Crafts Council of West Bengal
Srila Mookherjee was felicitated by Alka Jalan, founder of Alka Jalan Foundation and Ruby Pal Chowdhury, advisor and president emeritus, Crafts Council of West Bengal
The event also saw two short but riveting dance pieces by Arunima Sengupta Basu and Shaptarshi Ballav of Rhythmosaic, and also took people back to Srila’s words from the lecture that glassblowing is like a dance between the furnace and the glassblower