Nosferatu’s Czech connection: unique glass-blown Christmas decorations from Poniklá
The American horror film Nosferatu, one of the most talked-about movies of the year, has a unique Czech connection. Not only was it mostly filmed in Prague - it also features traditional Czech Christmas ornaments.
Nosferatu, a Gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and a terrifying vampire, was filmed in 2023 primarily at the Barrandov Studios in Prague and other locations in Czechia and released internationally at the end of last year.
Written and directed by Robert Eggers, the film stars Bill Skarsgård and Lily-Rose Depp in the lead roles. Along with the gripping storyline, the film showcases traditional Czech Christmas ornaments made of blown glass.
These ornaments are the work of Rautis, a family-owned business based in the northern Bohemian town of Poniklá. While the first glass bead-blowing company was founded in Poniklá in 1902, the tradition itself dates back even further.
Today, Rautis is the only company in the world where this craft has been preserved and is still passed down through generations. In 2020, it was inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Barbora Kulhavá, the company’s spokesperson, explains how the collaboration with Hollywood came about:
“We were approached by the Czech production to create decorations for a scene featuring a Christmas tree. The film is set around the year 1830, when Christmas trees were primarily found in the homes of wealthy families, typically decorated with apples or pine cones wrapped in shiny foil. The production of the first glass baubles had only just started in Thuringia.”
After exploring the company’s workshop, they discovered century-old molds for decorations in the shapes of apples, pine cones, and nuts. Once restored, the molds were put back into use, says Ms. Kulhavá:
“We also worked to recreate the colors that matched the decorations of that time. Back then, ornaments didn’t have inner silvering, so they weren’t as shiny as the modern ones. Instead, we aimed for a pearl-like effect, using techniques like wax coating to give them a yellowish, subdued tone. We created a truly one-of-a-kind collection for the film.”
Creating this special collection for Nosferatu was a unique opportunity for Rautis, and the company hopes it will bring their traditional craftsmanship to a wider, global audience.
However, Nosferatu is not the only recent American film to feature Czech glass craftsmanship. The Hollywood blockbuster Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, showcased pink pitchers crafted by Czech glassware company Klimchi. Another North Bohemian glassmaker, Pačinek Glass, provided crystal sculptures for the Netflix hit Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
