Casting glass in a mold is a glassmaking technique (first recorded around 400 BCE among the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians) that returned onto the scene in the 1950s after having been forgotten for centuries. The technique’s rebirth was thanks in part to the legendary artistic duo of Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, who “rediscovered” the technique, which in its current form allows for the production of glass artworks of enormous dimensions and with complicated shapes.

Cast glass sculptures are made like other sculptures, starting with a sketch and design and moving on to modeling and the production of a form. This form is then filled with blocks of glass. Depending on the size and shape of the object, the melting and subsequent slow cooling of the glass can take several weeks or even months. There follows the mechanical removal of the plaster and sand cast and the work’s surface finishing – grinding, polishing, sandblasting, and in some cases acid polishing.

The production of cast glass sculptures is a highly demanding process involving a series of steps that demand maximum effort and concentration on the part of every single artisan. Any mistake in the production process can mean having to repeat months of work from the very beginning. Glass works produced using melted glass are unique artifacts possessing a distinctive value in the world of contemporary art.

Guarantees – Upon agreement, we can provide an international Certificate of Accredited Testing that guarantees the state of inner tension within the glass and a certificate confirming that the work was produced at Lhotský Studio.