Cross Head thumbnail 1
Cross Head thumbnail 2

Cross Head

Sculpture
1988 (designed), 1992 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Painter and glass artist, Stanislav Libensky (1921-2002) and sculptor Jaroslava Brychtova (born 1924) married in 1963, having already collaborated in making art glass from 1954. As pioneers of sculptural glass work in Czechoslovakia, they worked together for over 40 years, gaining a hugely influential international reputation. They developed the mould-melting technique, firing pieces of glass cullet in a mould taken from an original clay model. They taught this technique to successive generations of students, such that it has now become typical of Czech art glass. This dramatic piece, Cross Head, is made using their mould-melting technique using red glass to create a beautiful piece of glass sculpture.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleCross Head (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Glass, mould-melted, cast
Brief description
"Cross Head", mould-melted red glass, Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, Czech (Zelezny Brod), 1988 (cast 1992)
Physical description
Cast and mould-melted red glass stylised head.
Dimensions
  • Height: 75cm (approx.)
  • Width: 50cm (approx.)
Gallery label
(1/7/2005)
Stanislav Libenský (1921–2002) and Jaroslava Brychtová (born 1924)
Cross Head
1988 (cast 1992)

While still subject to the constraints of official sanction in communist Czechoslovakia, the Libenskýs’ work of the late 1980s shows greater personal expression, with the re-introduction of colour and a return to the figure.

Czechoslovakia (Železný Brod)
Mould-melted

Museum no. C.72-2014. 'Given by the American Friends of the V&A in honour of Professor Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová through the generosity of Lisa S. Anderson and Dudley B. Anderson.'
Credit line
Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Dudley and Lisa Anderson in honour of Prof. Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová
Production
Designed in 1988 but not cast until 1992.
Summary
Painter and glass artist, Stanislav Libensky (1921-2002) and sculptor Jaroslava Brychtova (born 1924) married in 1963, having already collaborated in making art glass from 1954. As pioneers of sculptural glass work in Czechoslovakia, they worked together for over 40 years, gaining a hugely influential international reputation. They developed the mould-melting technique, firing pieces of glass cullet in a mould taken from an original clay model. They taught this technique to successive generations of students, such that it has now become typical of Czech art glass. This dramatic piece, Cross Head, is made using their mould-melting technique using red glass to create a beautiful piece of glass sculpture.
Collection
Accession number
C.72-2014

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
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