World of Fantasy

Step into a world where delicate beauty meets masterful craftsmanship. Czech glass Christmas ornaments are among the finest treasures of our traditional craftsmanship — and our museum is home to the largest public collection of them in the world. Discover their story from their earliest beginnings to the present day. Explore the main types of ornaments and see how they have evolved over nearly a century. Alongside iconic blown-glass ornaments, whose origins can be traced to Thuringia in Germany, you will also encounter unique decorations made from blown glass beads and tiny seed beads, a tradition that originated here in northern Bohemia.

Let yourself be enchanted by thousands of ornaments in countless shapes, colours and designs. Most date from 1993 to 2006, when they formed part of the production of Jablonex Group — one of the world’s leading manufacturers and exporters of Christmas ornaments. Every piece on display bears witness to human creativity, meticulous craftsmanship and the tastes of its time, which for many years were shaped primarily by the American market.

A new exhibition titled World of Fantasy, dedicated to the history and present-day production of Czech glass Christmas ornaments, will open on Thursday, October 22, at 6:00 p.m.

The opening event will also feature the presentation of a new book by Petr Nový: World of Fantasy: The History and Present of Glass Christmas Ornaments.

The exhibition and publication were created with institutional support for the long-term conceptual development of the research institution that is the State Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou, as provided by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.