HERAT, Afghanistan — Seated in front of a searing furnace, Ghulam Sakhi Saifi teases forth sinews of molten blue glass — the guardian of an Afghan glassblowing trade refusing to break with tradition.
'This is our art, our inheritance. It has fed us for a long time,' he told Agence France-Presse, resting from the work that has singed his knuckles and calloused his palms.'We are trying to make sure it is not forgotten. If we do not pass it down, it will disappear from the whole world,' said Saifi, who guesses his age is around 50.Glassblowing in Afghan istan's western city of Herat is an ancient craft. Saifi says it has run in his family for about three centuries.
Unlike in the past, when they used quartz, the glassblowers now use easier-to-find recycled bottles shattered into shards and superheated back into their liquid state.The green and blue pieces cool into charmingly imperfect shapes, shot through with air bubbles, and are sold from clattering piles in shops in Herat and the capital Kabul for around $3 each.Outside the shed it is already 36 degrees Celsius but stepping over the threshold is like being gripped by a sudden fever.
But Unbroken Afghan Glassblowers Refuse To Quit
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