The object of the month for August is a composition of glass figures created by conceptual and glass artist Jitka Havlíčková (b. 1976).

Jitka Havlíčková was born in Prague. She studied at the Secondary School of Glassmaking in Železný Brod (1990–1994), specializing in design and the creation of glass figurines, and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (1994–2001), where she attended the Drawing Studio under Professor Jitka Svobodová and later the Intermedia Studio under Professor Miloš Šejn (1997–2001). Since 2001, she has been working as an independent artist. Her glass figurines are part of many private collections.

The painting titled Ladies in Paris was created in 1902 using the watercolor technique by the prominent Czech academic painter, graphic artist, and illustrator Jan Dědina (September 1, 1870 – January 14, 1955).

Jan Dědina was born in the village of Straky in the Central Bohemian Region into a large family of farmer Jan Dědina and his wife, Kateřina. He studied painting at the School of Applied Arts in Prague under František Ženíšek and later continued his education at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied painting in the studio of Maxmilián Pirner and sculpture in the studio of Josef Václav Myslbek.

The Banner of the Bakers’ and Gingerbread Makers’ Guild Guilds were medieval and early modern organizations that brought together craftsmen. Their main goals were to protect the interests of their members, regulate production, set standards for product quality, determine prices, and prevent unwanted competition. Guilds expressed their prestige through richly decorated banners, which they carried during various city festivities and parades. Banners from the town of Železný Brod typically featured the guild’s symbols and its patron saint. Most of the preserved banners from Železný Brod date back to the first half of the 19th century and share a similar artistic style.

Object of the Month – May
The featured object for May is a directional sign bearing the symbols of the number 1, a white eight-pointed star, and a red crescent. It was used to guide volunteers from the 1st Turkestan Labor Battalion during their relocation in May 1945. The sign originates from Železný Brod, where the battalion was stationed at the time, and it pointed the way for passing military units.
The 1st Turkestan Labor Battalion was established in February 1943 in occupied Poland and was primarily composed of former Soviet soldiers captured by German forces. The unit was tasked with building military facilities and defensive lines. In the spring of 1945, as German troops retreated from the advancing Red Army, the battalion was deployed in the Sudetenland, where it continued its construction efforts. Accounts of the battalion’s presence in Železný Brod and surrounding villages come mainly from eyewitness testimonies and local chronicles.

Our museum is proud to showcase a truly unique artifact – a daguerreotype featuring the portrait of Priest Josef Klein. This rare piece of history not only reveals the face of an important figure but also serves as a reminder of the pioneering era of photography.

In their daily work, curators often encounter intriguing challenges. Occasionally, they come across an object that requires specialized knowledge beyond their expertise. Such is the case with March’s Object of the Month – a manuscript of sheet music. But how should we approach it?

The exhibit of February is a crystal glass vase, which is not only a work of art but also a symbolic link between the history of the Železný Brod glass school and the personalities who shaped its identity. This exceptional vase was presented to sculptor Jaroslav Brychta—known as the “father of Železný Brod figurines”—by his colleagues on the 20th anniversary of his tenure at the school as a token of gratitude for his work and contribution to the development of the glassmaking tradition. The creation of this remarkable vase involved three artists—Alois Metelák, Miloslav Janků, and Božetěch Medek—who designed it together in 1942. As was typical of the wartime period, they combined various refining techniques, whose interplay results in a harmonious whole.

The painted vase of monumental size was created at the Železná Brod Glass School in 1967 as a final project by a student, Eva Mirvaldová, married Vágnerová. Eva Mirvaldová was a student of the department of painted and etched glass, which at that time was led by Vlasta Maryšková, as workshop manager, and painter Jan Novotný, who led the department in terms of design.