Flame working is a type of glasswork where a torch or burner is primarily used to melt the glass. Once in a molten state, the glass is formed by blowing and shaping with tools and hand movements. It is also known as burner working or lampworking, Although lack of a precise definition for flameworking makes it difficult to determine when this technique was first developed, the earliest verifiable flameworked glass is probably a collection of beads thought to date to the fifth century BC. Flame working became widely practiced in Murano, Italy in the 14th century. In the mid-19th century flamework technique was extended to the production of paperweights, primarily in France, where it became a popular art form, still collected today. Flameworking differs from glassblowing in that glassblowing uses a furnace.

Early flameworking was done in the flame of an oil lamp, with the artist blowing air into the flame through a pipe. Most artists today use burners that burn either propane or natural gas, or in some countries butane, for the fuel gas, mixed with either air or pure oxygen as the oxidizer.

The process in this craft form is fairly simple but it needs exceptional levels of skill sets, imagination and patient to execute the same. A glass piece has to be heated up in front of a burner flame until it get in to temperature at which the glass piece can be converted in to any desired shape with the help of certain tools using free hand techniques. This stage generally arrives at around 500 degree Celsius. To keep the glass piece retain it shape the artisan continuously has to keep it rotating at different direction at high speed so that the glass doesn’t melt too fast and drips away.  

Flameworking is used to create artwork, including beads, figurines, marbles, small vessels, Christmas tree ornaments, and much more. It is also used to create scientific instruments as well as glass models of animal and botanical subjects.

The city of Firozabad in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India has many artisans practicing this art form.