Spiders have a bad reputation. Yes, as humans, some of us are creeped out by their eight legs and odd movements. We don’t really like when they appear out of nowhere, either. Especially when it’s in an extra unsettling place, like a cabinet or a shower. But despite all of that, they’re truly beautiful creatures. From an aesthetic perspective, yes, but also when you consider all that they do. Their webs are works of art. And their function in a garden is unmatched. The more we allow ourselves to learn about spiders, the less scary they become.
It’s something Nikita Drachuk understands. The Ukrainian lampwork artist has an Etsy shop called Glass Symphony where they create beautiful, original handblown glass spiders. And while they create everything from glass octopi to slugs to scorpions, the spiders are the real stars here. Just look at those long legs and all of the stunning detail put into this black widow figure.
Glass Symphony
We first learned about these stunning spiders over at Laughing Squid. It led us to the Glass Symphony Instagram page and Etsy shop, where there are pages of intricate spider designs to explore. Outside of just the beautiful shaping of the glasswork, the use of color is also so impressive. There are so many rich reds and deep blues and bright oranges in these figures. They’re heavenly to look at. (As long as you don’t suffer from arachnophobia.)
According to details obtained by Laughing Squid, Glass Symphony is a small, private, family-owned studio. They’ve been involved in this form of glass art, called “lampwork,” for three generations. Lampwork is the art of creating glass figurines melted in the flame of a gas burner. That means each composition is totally handmade. Super impressive, right?
The best part? These spider figurines are available for purchase and are highly affordable. There are 106 spider designs on the Glass Symphony Etsy shop that range in price from about $20 to $200, depending on size and type. These are perfect accessories for a desk or shelf—especially since you can control where the spider goes instead of seeing it unexpectedly.