Year of creation

2025

About project

The Story of the Šumava Vase

In the year 2019, Richard Brož, the author of the WeLoveŠumava project, began collecting glass shards from streams while walking through natural park Šumava in the Czech Republic. They were the remains of famous glassworks, some of which were almost 300 years old. He wanted to bring this glass back to life and spent five years looking for someone to take on his idea. He finally found it in František Jungvirt, a Šumava native and world-renowned glass designer, who was immediately intrigued by the idea. Together, they created an original vase that embodies the history of six Šumava glassworks and, at the same time, a modern view of this craft.

“Slides from Šumava glassmaking sites are the bearers of the rich history of glassmaking in Šumava. For me personally, these pieces of glass are almost relics that I wanted to place in an imaginary reliquary – a design vase that would also represent time on the axis. The stones are therefore arranged chronologically on the vase, with the large pieces representing the main glassmaking site: Stará Hůrka (1732), Stará Huť II u Podlesí (1736), Hraběcí Huť – Kvilda (1794), Sklárna Annín (1796), Nový Brunst (1828), Sklárna Rejštejn – Klášterský Mlýn (1836). The shape of the vase itself is inspired by the forest. You can see a tree, a pine cone or another foetus in it. The color scheme we chose carries the story of forests, streams and rocks. The iridescent effect caused by silver oxide inside the neck of the vase, which is reminiscent of rainbow, reflection of water or the pearly surface of clams.

The vase is mouth-blown into a wooden mold, hand-cut and polished to a high gloss. Each stone on the vase was profiled on a disc and then carefully glued to the vase. ” FJ

The object is made in a unique piece, hand-signed and numbered as a unique collectible item 1/1.

The object was created in only one piece and we launched its auction today. You can participate under the auction post primarily on Facebook WeLoveŠumava, but also on Instagram or by e-mail welovesumava@seznam.cz. The auction runs until Wednesday, October 15, 2025, i.e. only 48 hours.

All proceeds from the vase auction will be donated to 15-year-old Tomáš from Czech town Sušice, who was paralyzed after a serious accident. Tomáš has always been an active athlete and his wish is for a special bike so he can play sports outside with his friends again.

www.welovesumava.cz

www.frantisekjungvirt.com

Parameters

• glass, mouth-blown, amber underlayed with iridescent blue, hand-cut and polished, profiled and glued glass stones

More information at frantisekjungvirt@gmail.com .

Photos by Katarína Hudačinová.

The vase was auctioned for a price 200,000 CZK, which went to Tomáš from Sušice for a new handbike. Thank you to the auctioneers and everyone who participated.

František and Richard from WeLoveŠumava.