Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented
in Arabic and English,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian,
Japanese, Korean,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Thai
and Spanish.
Kind viewers, welcome
to A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
In today’s program,
we will visit
the biblical city
of Hebron in Palestine
and explore
two of its timeless
handicraft traditions:
glass blowing and pottery.
Hebron is
West Bank’s largest city
with 170,000
Palestinian residents.
Located 30 kilometers
south of Jerusalem,
it has a long
and fascinating history.
Hebron is a very old city.
It has a very famous mosque
Al-Haram Al-Ibrahime,
in which Abraham
is buried with his sons.
Since there are adherents
of all three religions –
Islam, Judaism,
and Christianity –
Hebron is characterized
by legendary mosques,
synagogues and churches.
In addition, it is believed
to be the birthplace
of John the Baptist.
The Arabic name of Hebron
is Al-Khalil, meaning
“God’s friend.”
According to
Islamic scripture,
God chose Abraham
as his friend.
Indeed, for many centuries,
Hebron has long upheld
the tradition
of warm hospitality.
According to
multiple accounts
from travelers
of different time periods,
visitors, regardless of
their faith or social status,
were unconditionally offered
bread, olives, and raisins.
Sometimes, thousands
of loaves of bread
were given out daily
to pilgrims and guests
through an ancient custom
called “Abraham’s Table.”
Today, Heron continues
to be a local economic
and cultural center
with two universities:
Hebron University
and Palestine Polytechnic
University.
Agricultural products
from the region
such as grapes and figs
are world-famous.
Hebron is well-known for
many traditional industries
such as pottery, faience,
glass blowing,
and many others.
Tracing the root of
the famed Hebron glass,
Supreme Master
Television visited
the Al Salam
Glass & Pottery Factory,
a family-owned
glass workshop.
Mr. Fawzi Al-Natsheeh
Abu-Ramzi, the owner
of the shop and factory,
took the time
to show us around.
I'm Fawzi Al-Natsheeh
Abu-Ramzi from
Al-Khalil city (Hebron),
I'm the owner of the glass
and ceramics factory
in Al-Khalil (Hebron).
As for this industry,
it's an old industry that
goes back to 500 years ago;
we learned it
from our ancestors
by inheritance,
because as a job
it needs high accuracy;
it is technical
more than practical.
We melt glass
in the furnaces
at 1400 degrees,
then we form it manually.
As for using glass,
we use
the broken damaged glass.
Then we put it
in the furnace, melt it,
and form it technically.
Mr. Fawzi Al-Natsheeh
Abu-Ramzi
graciously gave us a tour
around his gallery
and introduced to us
some of the world’s
finest glass artifacts.
As for the forms that we do,
they're from very
different old traditions,
such as decoration balls
for Christmas, vases,
flasks, tumblers,
from many different types
that have a great value
in this field.
These flasks are used to
keep oil, and these things
for home decoration.
There are also bells
like this one that can also
be used as a light by
putting a lamp from here.
We can also
make chandeliers
that look like grapes
like this one.
These grapes refer to
Al-Khalil city (Hebron),
because it's known
for growing grapes,
then we connect it
to the electricity and
it lights like a chandelier.
We have many types
of candlesticks like this,
but the vases are small.
This one is for one rose
and this is used for tables,
especially in hotels.
We have also the old lamps
like this one
that was used
in Al-Khalil (Hebron)
and mostly in Palestine;
they used kerosene
to light it
instead of electricity.
All of these are from
the Palestinian traditions,
and contain all sizes.
At a work area
with large furnaces,
we were introduced
to the master artisan
who created
these beautiful pieces.
Mr. Yacob Al-Natsheeh
Abu-Waheed
is a renowned
veteran glass maker.
I'm Yacob Al-Natsheeh
Abu-Waheed,
a plastic artist in the glass.
All the glass inside
has one color, we control it
according to the order.
Every month or 2 months
we decide on a color.
All the glass is
in the furnace
and has one color.
The trough
is full with glass
so I use the quantity I want
according to the model
I want to produce.
The forming is done
by blowing.
I decide the form
of the piece
before I use any glass,
so I use an exact quantity
according to the piece.
Now I form it
according to the order,
after finishing, we put it
in another furnace.
Its temperature varies,
meaning it turns
from 1400 to 500 degrees
in order to
get cold gradually,
and if it stays in open air
for a minute, it will break.
Mr. Yacob Al-Natsheeh’s
imaginative designs
and skillful technique
were amazing.
In just a few minutes,
a pile of molten glass
was turned into a piece
of beautiful artwork.
Guess
what he is making now!
We will be right back
after these brief messages
for more of Al Salam
Glass & Pottery Factory
in Hebron, Palestine.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
Artistic viewers,
welcome back
to A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
Let us now continue
our tour of Al Salam
Glass & Pottery Factory,
a family workshop where
Mr. Yacob Al-Natsheeh
is the master designer
for the glass crafts.
He shared with us
his creative process.
As for the years
of working in this field,
it's about 37 years.
Here we produce the piece
from the beginning
to the end by one person.
We have
about 1200 models
and 90% of them
are my design.
New models
come to my mind
when I put my head
on my cushion to sleep.
I begin thinking of
the next day,
and the type of the model
I want to design.
The next morning, I begin
to design the new model
that I thought of
and try to produce it.
In the beginning
it's hard to design it,
but then becomes easier.
During international
festivals, Mr. Yacob
Al-Natsheeh’s glasswork
demonstration has been
the focus of attention
from audiences
around the world.
Thanks to Allah,
I'm number 1 in Palestine
in this field, and
I represent it outside.
I went to France
about 20 times, and to
Italy, Syria, and Dubai.
I'm so proud of that,
thanks be to Allah.
I felt when people were
looking at me in Paris,
there were about 300 or
400 persons behind me,
some of them were
standing on the chairs
to see me while
I'm designing the piece,
and to see how I inflate it,
and how I form it,
and then to see how
I do the acrobatic tricks
as if I do nothing.
After I finish,
they begin whistling,
so I feel very proud
and thanks to Allah.
Thanks be to Allah.
It's the grace of Allah,
so I thank Allah.
What is your dream
and hope in life?
My dream is
to teach all my sons
this industry, because
it's a hard industry.
Glass artists have now
2 factories to work in,
and the formal artists
that do exist in this field,
there are 3 or 4 only.
I wish
from the National Authority
and from the Ministry
of Education to establish
glass furnaces in
the polytechnic academies
to teach the students
this industry,
in order to keep it alive
in Al-Khalil (Hebron),
because Al-Khalil is
famous for making glass.
This is the way
to save this industry
and to teach people.
Just as well-known
as Hebron glass is
Hebron’s pottery tradition,
which is typical
of Palestine and
has been well preserved
for many centuries.
Throughout history,
each period’s
pottery technique was
passed down and blended
with that of
incoming cultures.
This eventually resulted
in a unique Palestinian style
which has ancient Greek,
Roman, Byzantine
and Semitic influences.
In the pottery workshop
of Al-Natsheeh’s
family facility,
we were introduced
to the creation process of
a special type of pottery:
the faience.
Where are you from?
I'm from Hebron,
right from here.
How long have you been
doing this job?
About 10 years.
What are you doing?
Tell us about your work.
This is called “faience.”
First, I shape it
the way I want
on this machine
which is called “dolab.”
Second, I put it in the oven
at 1100 degrees.
Sometimes,
the color can be white
and they paint it,
but this color is red.
After they paint it,
they put it with milled glass,
and put it in the oven
again at 1100 degrees.
Then it becomes ready
like a plate, like this plate.
This is the basis
of “faience.”
The basis of “faience”
is similar to the pottery,
but the mud is different.
In the shop,
we met a visitor
who shared his thoughts
on Hebron’s glass
and pottery handicrafts.
I’ve been touring
throughout Israel
and Palestine
for the last 3 weeks.
And it’s been
really amazing
coming here to the
ceramic and glass factory
because not only
do you get to see
the incredible artwork
that you can see here
behind me,
but it’s really amazing
to think that
there are so few places
that are Palestinian owned,
Palestinian made,
and to see
such beautiful artwork
that simultaneously
is helping support
the Palestinian economy,
I think is pretty incredible.
And any chance
that people have to
support this artwork,
I think they should.
We thank
the Al-Natsheeh family
and the talented staff
at the Al Salam
Glass & Pottery Factory
for demonstrating
some of
the most remarkable skills
of traditional Palestinian
handicraft making.
May the age-old heritage
be carried forward
by future generations,
and continue to be
appreciated worldwide
as the exquisite artistry
of the peace-loving
Palestinian people.
Beautiful viewers,
thank you for joining us
today on A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
Up next is
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
after Noteworthy News.
May the love of the Divine
grace your life.