The presidential lectern, which will have its official premiere today during the presentation of state decorations by President Petr Pavel in the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle, was first shown at this year’s DesignBlok in the Riding School as part of the High Craft exhibition. Visitors could thus get to know the concept by designer Jan Plecháč, who created a set of three lecterns for state ceremonies at Prague Castle, inspired by the topography of Opyš, the rocky spur on which the Castle has stood since the 9th century.
The central lectern, intended exclusively for the president, bears the contour lines of the spur with the Czech lion milled into the surface, while the two accompanying lecterns for other statesmen work with the contours of the adjoining territory. They are made of anodized aluminium, which allows them to withstand decades without any change in appearance or function. The crown above the lion is inlaid by hand with crystal dust from Moser, a quiet detail that brings a touch of Czech glassmaking into an otherwise restrained object.
