Museum of Bohemian Paradise hosts rare exhibition of royal crown replicas
History buffs now have the rare chance to view highly professional replicas of three royal crowns connected to the Czech lands in one place. The exhibition entitled “Crowns of Emperors and Kings” is on show at the Museum of the Bohemian Paradise in Turnov.
The main exhibits on display at this unusual exhibition in Turnov are replicas of crowns worn by Luxembourg and other rulers on the Czech, Hungarian, and Austrian thrones. They were crafted by the renowned Czech jeweler and goldsmith Jiří Urban and the museum obtained them from him on long-term loan. The exhibition’s curator Miroslav Cogan says the museum is honoured to have been able to put together something so exceptional.
“It is truly a rare opportunity for visitors to see three crowns together in one space, because usually crown jewels do not come together in this way. Few exhibitions have something like this. Like in the Tower of London you have the crown jewels of English kings. At Karlštejn Castle you have the St. Wenceslas crown and the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire — but here we actually have one more – the Holy Crown of St. Stephen. We created a special quasi-medieval space for them, with something like a medieval stained glass window and reproduced medieval music. There are glass partitions so that visitors can view the crowns in a semi-private setting, apart from the usual bustle of the museum.”
Alongside a replica of the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, which was placed upon the heads of Charles IV and his son Sigismund, the museum presents two other replicas of significant crowns. The Holy Crown of Saint Stephen, used in the coronation of Sigismund of Luxembourg and later his daughter Elizabeth. And, historically speaking—the youngest of them all, the Crown of Saint Wenceslas, which Charles IV had made for his own coronation in 1346.
The man behind the exquisite replicas - jeweler and goldsmith Jiří Urban explains how he came to be involved in such projects.
“It began with the commission for the Imperial Crown, seventeen years ago. It was a coincidence, a chance invitation. But it was a success that led to other offers and today I do many other things – not just replicas of crowns but also monstrances for instance. Right now we’re helping to renovate the altar at Svatá Hora in Příbram. Today I have a team of people working with me, so that makes it easier to take on more commissions. The years have brought many interesting projects.”
Jiri Urban is now a renowned specialist in the field.
In 1990 he designed a gift for Pope John Paul II – a crystal cross set with garnets, and an engraving of Christ in moldavite. In 1996 he created a set of garnet jewelry for Queen Elizabeth II, on the occasion of her state visit to the Czech Republic.
He gained international recognition when he made a copy of the St. Wenceslas Crown and the Sedlec monstrance. The Sedlec monstrance comes from the Parler workshop from before the year 1400 and is one of the oldest preserved monstrances in Europe.
In addition to the three mentioned crowns the replicas of which are now on display, Urban has made replicas of several other crowns worn by European rules among them the Crown of Přemysl Otakar II, the Princely Crown of the House of Salm, the Ducal and Princely Liechtenstein crowns, the Iron Crown of the Lombard kings and the Imperial Crown of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Each of the crowns now on display in Turnov is different. So which of the replicas of these impressive three crowns was the hardest to make?
“The hardest was, of course, the first one, and I think the last one, the Crown of St. Stephen. Those two crowns kind of rival each other, although they are in some ways similar in terms of craftsmanship. The Crown of St. Stephen you can only see in Budapest. But I had the chance to see a very good replica, and I also had a few photos, close-up ones. And with experience, you already know things, you can put them together, figure things out. I had individual photographs of the stones, the enamels, from every possible angle, so that makes it easier to work. If I notice a flaw in the original, I try to reproduce it and if not I make one of my own. Because history leaves traces and visitors should get a feeling of authenticity. They should be able to feel that they saw a crown from a certain era, not a glittering piece of costume jewelry. To feel like they truly saw the original. “
