Czech glass artists produce designer wine glasses to celebrate 27 EU member states
Numerous events have been taking place in the Czech Republic and Brussels to mark the start of the Czech EU presidency. One of them is an exhibition of designer wine glasses celebrating the 27-member states, which is now on display at the Jablonec Museum of Glass and Jewelry.
The exceptional collection of twenty-seven pairs of sparkling wine and champagne glasses each linked to one of the 27-member states now has pride of place in the Jablonec Museum of Glass and Jewelry. The shape and colour of the goblets differ and symbolize the individual countries of the European Union. They are the brainwork of designer and artist Mária Burešová and were made by glassworks located in the so-called Crystal Valley in north Bohemia – the cradle of Czech glassmaking.
The museum’s chief curator Petr Nový explains how the idea emerged.
“It all started back in 2020 when we were approached by designer Mária Burešová who sent us a few of her designs –wine glasses symbolizing individual countries. It was during the first Covid wave and she had a lot of time on her hands. They designs were great and we thought it would be a good idea to turn it into a project celebrating the EU. So she got to work and produced this collection. Two wine glasses for each country – a glass for red or white wine and a champagne flute. They were produced by seven glassworks in Crystal Valley because we wanted to show the amazing glass tradition that was born here –which is exceptional even by European standards.”
The 54 glasses are showcased in pairs and each country has its own motif. Finland has lakes, Ireland a four-leaf clover, Denmark smokestacks on a ship, Greece an amphora, Latvia amber, Slovakia the Tatra Mountains, Bulgaria rose oil and the Czech Republic - its traditional white crystal glass.”
Petr Nový says visitors love to guess what country they are looking at:
“Next to every pair there is a card explaining what it symbolizes. The collection is like a tour of Europe. It is not provocative like David Černý’s Entropa during our first EU presidency, but the concept is similar. Here the artist looked for a positive interpretation, a symbol that people would associate with the given country. I am pleased to say that people have entered into the spirit of things. They often don’t read the card and try to guess – and they are very often right – for instance with Finland and the lakes.”
The goblets in honour of the Czech EU presidency were made in several copies, so that it would be possible to present them in more cities simultaneously and exhibitions have been planned in cooperation with Czech Centres abroad. At the Jablonec Museum of Glass and Jewellery they will be on display until mid-2023.
The companies involved in the production of the glasses were Floriánova hut in Častolovice in Česká Lípa, Lasvit Ajeto in Lindava, Novotný Glass in Novobor, Pačinek Glass in Kunratice, Preciosa in Kamenický Šenov, Martin Štefánek's glassworks in Desná and the Novosad & syn glassworks and microbrewery in Harrachov.
