The Chinese horoscope for 2026 brings dynamic energy as well as quick decisions and an appetite to change the familiar. The Year of the Horse, which we have just entered, is a symbol of change and the courage to make it happen. So, according to the Chinese horoscope, we are in for a period of all sorts of major decisions. The Horse is a symbol of freedom and independence. People born under this sign are very energetic, open and sociable, who do not like to stand still...
Glass steeds from Kunratice
In this context, we went to the charming North Bohemian village near Nový Bor, which is known as a magnet for sightseeing tourism thanks to the world-famous PačinekGlass glassworks of the uncrowned king of Czech glassmakers, as this master of his craft is nicknamed by the Czech media. Here, Jiří Pačinek, an artistic designer working in his family business mainly on large objects and glass sculptures, has just unleashed his herd of stallions in various forms into the world. From the realistic, to the so to say dreamlike, elaboration of his ideas of horses and hobby animals as decorative objects. This pupil of such masters as René Roubíček, Bořek Šípek or Petr Novotný, now legends of Czech glassmaking, proves once again that he does not know the words can't or can't manage with a glass whistle in his hand.
His „horse“ creations take many forms and faces, from a life-size glass model of a horse's head to magical figurines of various sizes for the interiors of residential or representative spaces, as part of a high-end lifestyle. Pachinek breathes life into them in both classic clear crystal and glass of a wide range of colours.
We can personally see this during a visit to his glass kingdom in Kunratice, during a guided tour of the glassworks and the sales gallery with a rich offer of art objects and souvenirs. A visitor and experiential bonus is a tour of the extraordinary Glass Garden and the Kunratice church, which Jiří Pačinek, after a good time with church officials, turned into the so-called Crystal Temple.
Motto: The greatest reward for me is the feeling of a job well done
Pachinek Glass is a family-owned company where artistic vision, craftsmanship tradition and professional team leadership are combined. The result is original Czech art glass, created by hand shaping. It has been operating on the world glass scene as an independent brand since 2007. It is currently celebrating ten years of operation in its own glassworks, which was established in 2015 by reconstructing a former machine tractor station in the centre of Kunratice.
Jiří senior (born July 3, 1972 in Litoměřice) graduated from the Glass Apprenticeship in Nový Bor and belongs to the current top of our artistic glassmakers. He began his creative career in 1990 by joining the legendary glassworks Chřibská 1414, followed by a long practice in the AJETO glassworks, where he developed his talent on works for such world glass art and design personalities as René Roubíček, Leon Applebaum (in whose glass studio in the USA he completed a three-month internship in 1995, which later foreshadowed Pačink's later travels from North Bohemia to various far-flung foreign countries), Louis Sakalovsky and other masters of their field.
At the same time, Jiří Pačinek did not forget about his ideas, fantasies and designs, which he implemented in his spare time, and so he gradually worked his way up the rungs of the ladder of fragile art to his own career. The Ajeto glassworks provided him with a unique place to develop his distinctive style of work and creation. He eventually applied it in his first own manufactory, which he built by rebuilding a historic wooden house in Lindava in 2007, from where he later moved to a larger premises that fully corresponded to his vision of his activities in Kunratice
Hyah, hyah...
How can you people live without horses... asks the unforgettable country singer Michal Tučný in one of his popular songs. Stud farms, ranches and riding stables are romance for some, entertainment for others. For others, it's a return to nature and a healthy lifestyle hidden in horsemanship. It is here, in the saddle and in the silence of the countryside, that many will again recall the words of the American writer Kipling that the best view of the world is from horseback.
And perhaps those who move in the landscape around Kunratice can visit places where the horse appears in a different, unexpected form. The Kunratice glassworks complex with its sales gallery offers unique encounters with the horse made of glass - in the form of Jiří Pačink's original sculptures. For example, the Fire Horse, shaped by the hands of a master glassmaker, carries the same energy, power and restlessness as the living one.
Fire Horse
As we have already said, this year is according to the Chinese horoscope - respected throughout the Asian world - the Year of the Horse. As they say, fortune favours the prepared. For Jiří Pačink it was not a problem to deal with this subject in detail, because in his distinctive style of creation and work he has long been dealing with technically demanding decorative sculptures of plants, animals, marine organisms and birds for both indoors and in gardens.
And so for the great feast of the Horse, he added an original figurine to the line of art objects, which is a symbol of energy, courage, movement and inner strength. As Renata Pačinková notes, this is exactly the character of their Fire Horse, an elegant silhouette in deep black with a distinctive „flaming“ mane and tail in shades of ruby, orange and gold. In the light, the mood of the entire sculpture changes. From darkly refined to vibrantly dynamic, as when a fire burns to its full strength.
Each piece is a hand-sculpted original and bears the natural hallmarks of working with hot glass - subtle nuances in colour, pattern and gloss that give each figure its own personality. It's a small collectible with a big story: a reminder of the Year of the Horse, which wishes for determination, new beginnings with the goal of going your own way.
Equally nice is a large decorative sculpture of a rearing winged horse. Pegasus, as is well known, is one of the symbols of speed, unlimited freedom and creative talent, especially of artists working with the written word. Pachinko's Pegasus is sure to delight anyone trying to saddle up that poetic steed, born of Greek mythology, which influences the ability to write verse and express oneself poetically.
Both of these pieces of art are undoubtedly ideal as a gift or token for the year 2026, a personal talisman for the desk or a distinctive interior detail for anyone who loves glass, energy and original craftsmanship.
Sherry la fam...
Yes, behind everything, look for a woman, as the age-old saying goes. A great inspiration and support for Jiří Pachinko is his wife Renata. The two of them together not only create a beautiful environment for visitors to their glassworks, but also often implement joint ideas materialized in glass. An integral part of their work is the presentation of Czech glass at home and abroad.
After a successful presentation in Bratislava last year, they are currently planning a representative exhibition in Poland and overseas in Los Angeles. Jiří Pačinek has already had several successful projects with Hollywood. For example, he created 65 sculptures for the film On Knives - The Glass Onion, starring his glass and Daniel Craig, and then, called Pacha by his friends, he also created for the film GLADIATOR.
In the list of this year's series of exhibitions of the work of the Pačinka family company, we should not forget the spring presentation in the centre of Prague, in the gallery of the Jaskmanický company. A report from the opening and a discussion with the exhibiting artist will be the subject of our next article. Read more here
Ivan Cerny
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