Klein Bottle Glass Sculpture

A Klein bottle is a surface with no inside and no outside — a mathematical object that cannot properly exist in three dimensions, and which glassblowers have nonetheless been approximating for over a century. This one is hand-formed in clear glass, the neck folding back through the wall of the body and opening into the base, so that a single continuous surface loops through itself.

As an object on a shelf it is genuinely arresting. Light collects along the curve of the neck and throws it back through the body, and the shape reads differently from every angle, which is more than most ornaments manage. It sits well among books, on a desk beside a lamp, or in a group with other clear glass pieces where the loop of the neck stands out against straighter forms.

Two sizes are offered: a medium at roughly 10 x 8cm and a large at 18 x 13cm. Each is individually formed, so small variations in the curve and thickness of the glass are part of the making rather than faults. It is a decorative sculpture, not a vessel — the geometry means it does not empty properly and it is not intended to hold liquid. Handle it as you would any blown glass: it is thin-walled and will break if knocked or dropped. Keep it out of reach of children and away from table edges.

• Hand-blown clear glass Klein bottle sculpture
• Medium approximately 10 x 8cm; Large approximately 18 x 13cm
• Individually formed - slight variation in curve and thickness is expected
• Decorative object only; not a vessel and not intended to hold liquid
• Dust with a soft dry cloth; hand wash only if necessary
• Fragile thin-walled glass - will break if knocked or dropped
• Keep out of reach of children and away from table edges