Prague's Archbishop Loans Baroque Monstrance to Exhibit, First Time Displayed Since 1885 A once-in-a-lifetime exhibition
of priceless antique and modern Bohemian garnets from Prague is on display now
at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The exhibit
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, May 5, 2005 - A once-in-a-lifetime exhibition
of priceless antique and modern Bohemian garnets from Prague is on display now
at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The exhibition features more than 370 pieces of jewelry, personal
accessories, religious objects, souvenirs, and sentimental objects,
accompanied by period paintings, drawings, sculptures and antique clothing.
National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library president and CEO Gail Naughton
said the exhibition will have its only American showing in Cedar Rapids. "This
is the first exhibition of garnets to travel abroad from The National Museum
of the Czech Republic, whose collection is renowned as the largest and most
comprehensive in the world," she added.
Garnets mined in Bohemia are of the variety called pyrope (from the Greek
words pyr for "fire" and ops for "eye"). This rare, high quality garnet is
only found in the Central Bohemia region of northern Czech Republic. The
Bohemian garnet's color ranges from fiery-red to ruby-red. This semi-precious
gem is well known as the January birthstone.
"The most valuable and rare object in the exhibition is on loan from the
Archbishop of Prague," said Naughton. "It is a Baroque monstrance, a vessel
used in special Roman Catholic ceremonies, which was discovered in the vaults
of St. Nicholas Church in Prague."
The monstrance was hand crafted in 1722 and encrusted with 386 garnets, 19
diamonds, and 135 rock crystals. It is one meter tall and is on public display
for the first time since 1895.
"The monstrance desperately needed to be restored," said Naughton. "So to
help preserve it and bring it to America we agreed to fund the restoration."
According to the curator from The National Museum, Dr. Dana Stehlikova, this
monstrance could be the largest existing object decorated with Bohemian
garnets.
In addition, the National Czech & Slovak Museum is displaying a related
exhibition of heirloom garnets owned by members and friends of the museum, as
well as educational programming for the duration of the exhibition.
The exhibition runs through September 25, 2005. Gallery hours are Monday
through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is the leading United States
institution collecting, exhibiting, preserving, and interpreting Czech and
Slovak history and culture. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is
located at 30 16th Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For more information, call
(319) 362-8500 or visit the museum Web site, http://www.NCSML.org
