International
Bohemia, the unbearable lightness of glass
In the Czech Republic, a new wind is blowing through the Bohemian crystal tradition. Dusted off and weighted down with lead, glass is back on the table thanks to inspired designers and the help of financiers with fakir feet. Journey into the fragile world of transparency.
" We'd like to be the Jacquemus or Balenciaga of glassware," says young Lukáš Klimčák, the 2019 founder of the Klimchi brand, which has established itself on the table and even in the Barbie movie in no time at all. How did his Bohemian crystal glasses and decanter get in front of the cameras? A mystery of chance - or not. Lukáš Klimčák knows how to illuminate: he was born into a family that has been producing crystal lighting fixtures for generations. In 2010, they bought the century-old Jilek factory in Kamenický Šenov, Czech Republic. " The workshop is located in the Crystal Valley in North Bohemia, surrounded by forest. "Wood, water and sand are essential to the production of the famous crystal. " Nature, which is not very conducive to agriculture, decided what the villagers would do. In the past, every family worked in the glassworks, and the tradition has endured. Such a concentration of know-how is very rare in a single place, with the exception of Murano. "In this miraculous valley, the first chandelier factory opened in 1724. Its lights flooded the courts of Europe and the Ottoman Empire. In 1856, a school was set up in Kamenický Šenov, one of the first in Europe to train students in engraving and glass painting. Still in operation today, some former students work in the Jilek workshop.
▶ This article is taken from Gault&Millau, le magazine #6. Find the latest issue on newsstands or in our online store.
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