What do the Tour de France, the Thalia Awards and the MTB World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě have in common? Well, it will certainly be sports performances and theatrical ones, too, because after all, sport in its peak form is bit of a theatrical piece of its own. And from this year, all these events have one more thing in common: prizes. Prizes produced by the Ajeto glass works.
Ajeto Glassworks, co-founded by the renowned artist Bořek Šípek, is the manufacturer of trophies for the winner of the Tour de France and award for the best Czech theatre performers. And this year for the first time, trophies for winners of Nové Město na Moravě World Cup races will be made there, too.
Petr Vaněk, the race director, said: “Since we started with the World Cup events in Nové Město in 2011, we have always presented medallists original trophies made by Czech artists. We are glad that riders value our trophies highly, and they remind them of not only the actual race, but of the Czech Republic and genuine craft.” Yesterday, 18 original trophies arrived at Nové Město, and they will be presented to medallists of short track, cross country and marathon races.
The Ajeto glassworks will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary this year. It was founded on 28 October 1994 in Lindava near Nový Bor, and it has been an epitome for the skills of Czech glassmakers and a bearer of the reputation of artistic glassmaking in the world since its beginning. To this day, the Ajeto glassworks manufactures theatrical Thalia awards that are based on Bořek Šípek's designs, and it has been supplying trophies for the world's most famous cycling race, the Tour de France, since 2011.
For many years, the glassworks have been a melting point of ideas of the world’s best master glassmakers, artists and designers, architects, creative people, actors and filmmakers. In 2017, the Ajeto glassworks became a part of LASVIT company, and to some extent, it has been manufacturing its product portfolio since then. It focuses on manufacturing of custom glass products, and rents out a large part of its production capacity to design studios, artists, schools and various enterprises.
We are glad that Ajeto company manufactured trophies for the world’s best mountain bikers again this year! Thank you!