Author

Jílek Glassworks

Art glass, Handcrafted, Traditional optical patterns

Founded in 1905

Kamenický Šenov, Czech Republic

Operates internationally

The Jílek Glassworks carries on the tradition of Czech handcrafted glass and the work of master glassblowers. The foundation of production lies in direct contact with molten glass, which takes on its final form right at the furnace. The Cinderella collection was created on commission for Glass Soul at the Jílek Glassworks. Each piece is hand-blown and shaped by experienced glassblowers. Each piece thus bears the authentic mark of its creator’s hands and subtle variations that cannot be replicated in handmade production. The result is not a mass-produced, identical item, but an original Czech glasswork created exclusively for Glass Soul.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR'S LIFE

The glassworks was founded in 1905 by brothers Antonín and Václav Jílka, together with Franz Vetter, in Kamenický Šenov, which at the time was a predominantly German community. Construction of the glassworks took just under five months, and production was officially launched on September 27, 1905. The glassworks hall, built in 1924, is still used by glassmakers today and is one of the region’s most architecturally significant industrial buildings.

From the very beginning, the glassworks has been associated with experimentation and working with color. As early as the 1920s and 1930s, new glass compositions colored with selenium and rare earth elements were developed here, and to this day, the glassworks has proven recipes for 30 types of glass compositions. The glass is melted in six fireclay crucibles, and the glass workshops, led by master glassmakers, shape it using traditional glassmaking techniques—from glassblowing to optical decorations to layered colors.

The glassworks went through nationalization, the Borské sklo and Crystalex eras, and a complex privatization process, yet it has maintained the continuity of its handcrafted production. Today, it offers a comprehensive approach—from the initial sketch through mold production and patterning to the final realization—for both its own designs and custom orders. It is precisely thanks to this that original pieces for Glass Soul, such as the Cinderella Barcelona urn, can be created here.

Works by the Author

Author's Collection

Cinderella Barcelona – Jílek Glassworks, Czech Republic | Glass Soul 2026 | glass urn

14 900 Kč

Cinderella Barcelona – Jílek Glassworks, Czech Republic | Glass Soul 2026 | glass urn

14 900 Kč

Cinderella Stone – Jílek Glassworks, Czech Republic | Glass Soul 2026 | glass urn

12 900 Kč

Cinderella Angel, Guardian of Memories | Jílek Glassworks, Czech Republic | Glass Soul 2026 | glass urn

13 900 Kč

Cinderella Angel, Guardian of Memories | Jílek Glassworks, Czech Republic | Glass Soul 2026 | glass urn

13 900 Kč

Cinderella Angel, Guardian of Memories | Jílek Glassworks, Czech Republic | Glass Soul 2026 | glass urn

13 900 Kč