Hand-Blown Glass Witch Ball — Smoky Grey-Green with Interior Strands — Field Find

THE FIND
A hand-blown glass witch ball in a smoky grey-green tint, with suspended glass strands and natural air bubbles caught inside the sphere. Found in excellent condition — the kind of object that earns its place in a window and keeps it.

WHAT WE KNOW
Witch balls are a centuries-old form of decorative glass originating in 17th and 18th century England, traditionally hung in windows to catch and confuse malevolent spirits — the tangled interior strands were said to ensnare anything that entered. This example features a translucent smoky grey-green glass body with characteristic hand-blown irregularities: subtle surface variation, interior strand work, and small air bubbles that animate in light. No chips or cracks noted.

THE STORY
The witch ball predates the Christmas ornament — it is, in fact, one of its ancestors. Glassblowers in Nailsea and Bristol produced them for the domestic market throughout the 1700s and 1800s, and the tradition carried into American folk craft. Hung in a south-facing window, the shifting light through the glass does the rest.

WHY WE CHOSE IT
The grey-green tint is quieter and more sophisticated than the typical cobalt or red examples — it reads as architectural rather than decorative, and works in spaces that don't lean overtly witchy or seasonal.

ABOUT THIS PIECE
Condition: Excellent — no chips, cracks, or surface damage noted. Interior strands and bubbles intact.
Dimensions: [DIMENSIONS]
Weight: [WEIGHT]
Quantity: 1 — one of a kind.