Artistic founders work on the VSB-TUO insignia

How do they work on them? Where did they find inspiration? And how do the chains differ from the original ones? Václav Merta answered.

You are preparing new Rector’s and Dean’s chains. Who is the author of their design, and how long did it take before such a design was prepared?

The whole story with the preparation of the new chains began in 2019 when the University celebrated the 170th anniversary of its foundation, and on this occasion, the University management, after its experience with the production of commemorative medals, plaques and tablets, approached us with the question whether we would be able to produce a Rector’s chain of honour for Prof. Čermák, and we said yes. The result was a lightweight silver chain, inspired in its design by the relief from the facade of the Rector’s building – Prometheus by Mr. Gajda. The chain of honour was a success, and for the next year or so, the idea of making new chains for the whole University in a similar spirit matured. A large team of our artistic foundry students then worked for over a year to prepare several variations of the artwork for the chains and the medal, from which the final design was selected. This was followed by many months of adjustments to the final design, sizing of individual parts and prototype production. The actual realization then began last summer, and we are currently working on finalizing the last chains. More than twenty people were involved in the entire production, with the biggest share of the final design coming from our graduates Šimon Kielar, František Zlámal, and Dominik Buzek.

Did anything inspire you?

From a visual point of view, certainly, the already mentioned Gajda’s Prometheus. In terms of proportions and functional properties of the chains, we again relied on existing chains and experience from the production of the chain of honour.

What are chains made of, and how do they differ?

The chains are made of silver jewellery alloy Ag925. One of the requirements during the design process was to unify all the chains visually as much as possible, so there are no significant differences in the design of the chains themselves. However, the designs did take into account the use of colourful distinguishing elements in the form of stones in the colours of the University and individual faculties, which are incorporated into the individual segments of the chain.

Is it the same to work with silver as with bronze, or is the work more complicated?

As far as casting production is concerned, it is more or less comparable except for differences in casting temperatures. But working with silver certainly has its specifics. Compared to bronze, it is a little softer, so it is a little easier to file and grind, for example. On the other hand, it means that it can be easier to make an unwanted indentation or deform a part. There is a big difference in the way it is worked, which is entirely by hand, and care must be taken when collecting the filings, as it is a precious metal, and every speck must be caught and put back into circulation. The big advantage is the possibility of brazing, which is far more complicated with bronze, and the results are not nearly as good.

How long does it take to make one chain?

The whole process is very lengthy, involving the production and machining of all castings, preparation of connecting rings, assembly, surface treatment, and setting with stones. There were a lot of people working together on the whole production, and many of the individual steps were going on at the same time, so it is not quite possible to say that we could make one chain in, say, a month. Finally, we are looking at around 250 hours of work on one chain with all the pieces.

How is the production of chains actually done?

I suppose the method is a little different than, say, in the case of a plaque, a graduate’s footprint, or commemorative medals. Since we are artistic founders, we wanted to make the most of our craft. The individual segments of the chain and the medal are thus cast. However, in contrast to the bronze castings of commemorative medals, plaques and tablets, which we cast in sand moulds, we use a different method – the so-called lost wax casting, or meltable model method. This consists in preparing models from wax and moulds from plaster. Compared to sand moulds, the whole process is much more complex and time-consuming. In addition, not only the plaster mould but also the wax models themselves are disposable because the principle is to pour the wax models into the plaster and then burn the mould, during which the wax flows out and creates the desired cavity into which we can then cast the metal.

Can the production of Rector’s and Dean’s chains be compared to the production of jewellery?

Actually, it is the production of jewellery. We work with jewellery silver, use jewellery techniques and tools, and the result is a ceremonial chain, which I personally consider to be jewellery. After all, a large number of the students involved in the production are trained goldsmiths like me. And without the knowledge of the goldsmith’s craft, the new chains in this form could not have been created at all.

When you have finished the chain, how do you work with it?

It depends on what stage you consider the chain to be finished. For me, one of the most important milestones in production is the actual assembly of the chain. Once we have the castings of each segment of the chain prepared and worked, we need to put them all together with the connecting rings and segments over the rings. As we use the fire brazing technique for joining, this whole operation is very demanding and must be done very carefully, as even a small mistake could cause irreparable damage, and all the work of preparing the individual components would be wasted. When the whole chain is successfully joined together, and you can rattle it for the first time, it is a really nice feeling. But the production does not stop there. The finished chain needs to be brought to the desired final form, which involves several more steps of dry cleaning, patination, polishing and stone setting.

How do the new chains differ from the original ones?

Apart from some basic parameters, such as dimensions and number of individual segments, they probably differ in everything. From the artistic design, to the materials and workmanship used, to the final finish. We tried to make some quite fundamental changes in the preparation of the artwork. Apart from the already mentioned unification of the form of all the chains, it was mainly an attempt at a certain visual lightness and, more importantly, a more modern, clean design of a technical nature that would better correspond with our University and its new visual style. Hence the reference to Gajda’s Prometheus.

What was the assessment of the University management: Are they satisfied with the proposal?

I guess that is a question for the University management. In the course of designing and prototyping, but also in the course of the actual implementation, there were, of course, a number of problems, necessary minor adjustments and changes, but we always solved them with the management, and we always came to an agreement. I have had positive feedback on the final look of the chains, and I hope for the whole team that they like the new chains.

What are the chains decorated with?

As I said before, in the framework of the design, we counted on decorating the chains with jewel stones in University or faculty colours. The initially simple idea proved to be a bit more challenging over time. At first, we searched for suitable stones, worked with cutters and prepared some prototypes. However, over time, we came to the decision that we would have to leave this part of the work to experts in the field. So we turned to the traditional Czech manufacturer of jewel glass stones from Jablonec nad Nisou – the Preciosa company. I am pleased about this decision because the cooperation with them was excellent, they brought a new perspective to it, and most importantly, we have chains decorated with a truly traditional Czech product from a world-famous company.

Yes, the Vice-Rector’s or Vice-Dean’s chains are an integral part of the whole set, so of course, they were also considered when the existing chains were completely replaced with new ones. For the sake of uniformity, they have the same design, but unlike the Rector’s and Dean’s chains, they are not decorated with any stones.