6. Reviving a Craft in France

While large scale production of Christmas balls - when not done by machine - is being performed by a kind of informal workforce in many countries in the Global South, small-scale Christmas ball production also has been revived in France, where its re-emergence has been stimulated by public investment. In 1992, 28 years after Goetzenbrucke's hot shop closure, the Centre Internaitonal D'Arts Verriers was set up in the neighboring village of Meisenthal, the site of the cold shop of the village's former glass factory, which also had closed in 1969, and was producing tableware glass. With funds from the local municipalities association, the Centre, which is partner with the local glass Museum (situated beside it),has resumed the production of Christmas balls.

The site of Meisenthal, with at the first plan the CIAV building, and the footbridge in construction which now links the CIAV and the glass museum. In the background, the 'glass hall', the former hot shop, which has now been converted into a cocnert hall. The old funaces are still there. Photo: Arnaud Kaba, 2021

Christmas balls are sold in the local market, promoted for their quality albeit their relatively high price. They have met with such success that there are now shortages of experienced labour. Retired workers from the Goetzenbrucke factory have been enlisted to transmit skills to younger glass craftsmen.

Nicolas, designer, has his artistic project comissionded by the most experienced glassblowers from the CIAV in the artistic collaborations room. Photo: A. Kaba, 2021

In parallel, the Centre hosts artistic activities and has commissioned pieces with renowned artists and designers. Before making his project in Firozabd, Jean-Michel Othoniel had briefly collaborated with the CIAV. In 30 years, Christmas balls production has grown so much that the centre has now two separate production shops one for the artistic collaborations, and one for the Christmas balls production.

The Christmas ball prodcution room, which mainly -but not exclusively- employs glassworkers at the starting of their carrer. Photo A.Kaba, 2021.