LASVIT breathes eternal life into nature by preserving flowers in glass

glass manufacturer LASVIT presents herbarium, a light installation made of one-off pieces that explores the roots of glassmaking. featuring glass objects that hang from different heights, the lighting object creates a poetical metaphor by conserving in glass a typical bohemian meadow. the initiative is a testament to the unique beauty of czech flora and a great opportunity for everyone to bring some nature home.

images courtesy of LASVIT

the glass components on herbarium were created from the flowers and tree branches which grow near LASVIT’s glassworks in northern bohemia, thanks to a special glassmaking technique which allows glassmakers to breathe eternal life into nature. magic happens when the molten glass is poured over dried flowers, herbs or small tree branches — the greenery turns into ashes but leaves its distinct traces in the glass surfaces. this results in a unique herbarium that will stand the test of time, like a fossil.

‘our glassworks are surrounded by wild nature,’ says mária čulenová, chief designer who led the creative team behind herbarium. ‘in this countryside, we can find the roots of glassmaking as well as of our family. what we wanted to do in herbarium was to capture this wilderness so anyone can take home a piece of this scenery, a piece of the bohemian meadow as well as a piece of nature frozen in glass.’

the world’s flora is infinitely diverse and everyone can have their own favorite flowers conserved in glass. to create the piece, a LASVIT team walked through nature around the glasswork, picking tree branches, flowers, and pieces of greenery to conserve them for generations to come. no two flowers in the world are the same, therefore each component will be an original piece forever.

project info:

name: herbarium

company: LASVIT