BROKIS
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brokis
brokis – a synthesis of exquisite design, superior
quality, and the skill of master artisans continuing
the centuries-old bohemian glassmaking tradition.
brokis lighting collections have achieved interna-
tional acclaim by combining handblown glass with
other refined materials, such as handcrafted wood
and metal, in bold compositions that push the bound-
aries not only of contemporary lighting design but of
the technologies applied in production. The family-
run premium brand works with select designers from
around the world and operates its own historical
glassworks southeast of Prague.
brokis is the brainchild of successful Czech entre-
preneur Jan rabell. in 2006, he founded the brand as
a platform to revitalize and elevate bohemian glass-
making to new heights and preserve generations of
knowledge and craftsmanship. Nearly ten years prior,
in 1997, he acquired the ailing Janštejn Glassworks,
which was established at the start of the 19th century
approximately 140 kilometres southeast of Prague.
Demand for traditional products had declined sig-
nificantly, many of the glassmakers were growing
old and leaving, and time-honoured technologies
and techniques were at risk of being lost. Mr. rabell’s
vision was to restore the factory to its former
prestige and ensure that the ages-old bohemian
glassmaking tradition endured into the 21st century.
With brokis, Jan rabell created a lighting brand
offering entirely different products than those previ-
ously produced at Janštejn Glassworks. several new
italian-style furnaces were built, and production
techniques were refined. some, such as grinding
and glass painting, were discontinued, and others
were revived, like glassblowing using optic moulds
and traditional hotshop techniques. original and
nearly forgotten formulas for manufacturing coloured
glass were reinstated and are now characteristic of
the brokis brand. Therefore, it brings us great joy
that in 2023 Czech handmade glass was inscribed
in UNEsCo’s representative List of the intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
brokis has firmly established itself as a leading
innovator in glass lighting. For example, the complex
technology applied in manufacturing the Night birds
collection, which consists of imposing yet elegant
curved glass silhouettes of birds in various phases
of flight, required two years of experimentation
to perfect.
brokis is constantly developing new technologies
for its lights in order to offer consistent industry-
leading quality and innovation throughout its global
product portfolio, such as with a special original con-
nector, the sustainable material called brokisGLAss,
and TriMLEss, a sleek new system for hanging
pendent lights from lowered drywall ceilings. brokis
has also recently developed a series of configura-
tors for some of its most popular collections. These
powerful online tools let customers create their very
own bespoke lighting compositions in a user-friendly,
intuitive interface.
brokis also maintains a strong online presence
through a series of innovative initiatives, such as
brokis VirTUAL ProJECTs and the unique Mybrokis
application. in January of 2022, brokis launched
a website within Janštejn Glass Group (JGG). Today,
brokis and Janštejn Glassworks employ more than
100 people and enjoy a unique symbiosis that has
allowed brokis to establish sales operations in
120 countries and regularly showcase its renowned
lighting collections at the world’s top design shows.
PRESERVING
THE BOHEMIAN
GLASSBLOWING
TRADITION
