Zprávy památkové péče 2017, 77(3):244-253
RAKO ceramic cut mosaic - rediscovery of an extinct technology
Emil Sommerschuh, the founder of the RAKO ceramic factory, opened up a completely new direction in mosaic art. The large-scale mosaic that was realized on the facade of Prague's Hahol in 1905 proved the possibilities of using this technology for architecture. Other important realizations were carried out in the Municipal House in 1911-1912.
Jano Koehler, however, was the one who perfected this technology. On the Calvary on Hostýn, the development of his work can be followed from 1912 to 1933.
The mosaic of the first station, "Pilate's Court", which was in a disastrous state, was rescued in 2015 by the installation of the second original. This was created by sculptors Passionaria Parik and Vojtěch Pařík after six years of hard teamwork. They had to re-discover the defunct technique of working with liquid tesserae made of ceramic glazes in thick layers. The original co-author of the work, the RAKO factory, was also involved in this cooperation. The fired pieces of all ceramic segments were carried out in tunnel kilns in Podbořany using frost-resistant material. Architect Marek Houska created a special stainless steel construction to fit the second original in order to preserve the remnants of the original mosaic.
The RAKO factory also made the figural mosaics of Ladislav Šaloun on the facade of the Pojišťovna Praha and the specific interior decoration of Hotel Imperial.
Keywords: ceramic mosaic, RAKO factory, Emil Sommerschuch, Jano Koehler
Published: September 1, 2017 Show citation
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