Czech Glass 1945-1980: Design in the Age of Diversity

The high artistic quality of Czech glass became known in the West only in the 1970s. The artists drew attention to themselves mainly because they explored the sculptural potential of glass and claimed to create art works in their own right. As a result, Czech glass art established itself as the third European powerhouse together with Scandinavia and Murano. Since the 1980s, it has been the undisputed leader in European glass art.

After 1945, Czech glass art developed on a constantly high artistic level. Little is still known about the early works of artists like René Roubíček, Stanislav Libenský and his wife Jaroslava Brychtová, or Václav Cigler, Pavel Hlava, Vladimír Kopecký, and Jiří Harcuba. The crucial factor for the high standards of Czech glass design was the excellent training at the glass institutes of Northern Bohemia in Nový Bor, Kamenický Šenov, and Železný Brod, but most importantly the severe demands for quality in design inculcated by the Prague Academy upon nearly all the artists who later became successful.

The first comprehensive record of Czech glass art from 1945 to 1980. All 350 objects by 36 artists are reproduced in brilliant colour illustrations and discussed in detail. Informed contributions by international authors, biographies of artists and firms, and an index of signatures.