Yesterday's House Insignia of the Day Revealed ...U Zlaté číše (The Golden Goblet)

  U Zlaté číše (The Golden Goblet) 

Originally a Renaissance house (note the stone portal) with Baroque and Classicist adaptations (note the plain façade), the building underwent reconstruction in 1965-66.  The house sign is formed by a relief of a golden cup in an oval cartouche.  It's the symbol of a goldsmith's craft and dates from 1660, and reminds us of a goldsmith who owned the house, B. Schumann.

Today it houses an antiquated bookstore called Antikvariát U Zlaté číše.  It's filled floor-to-ceiling with everything you'd find in those secret cubbyholes in your grandfather's secretary desk.  Dig through piles and boxes of dusty old prints, stamps, postcards and pamphlets to find your own personal treasures - like Communist propaganda cards and Kafka biographies.

Nerudova Street 16/212, Lesser Town

Quite a vision on Tomášská...

This is one of the most elaborate building emblems that I know of, and the crazy thing is that I have walked right by it on several occasions.  Why? How?  Well, I didn't look up!

Now look closely...

At the Golden Stag (dum U zlateho jelena) has an interesting story behind it...

According to legend, St. Hubert was hunting deep in the forest on Good Friday when a stag appeared before him. His aim faltered as a crucifix glowed over the animal's head and a voice reproached him for hunting--particularly on Good Friday.  The voice warned him, "Hubert, unless you turn to the Lord, and lead a holy life, you shall quickly go down to hell."  

Inspired by his vision, St. Hubert vowed to put down his bow and arrow forever.  He renounced his riches and military honors and joined the church, becoming Bishop of Liege.  When hydrophobia raged in France and Belgium, St. Hubert set up a refuge for all the dogs he could find, marking each with the sign of the cross on its forehead, which was believed to render immunity to rabies. 

St. Hubert is the patron of hunters, mathematicians and metalworkers.

Always look up!

Have you ever walked down Tomášská?  I bet you have, but did you remember to do what I always say to do?  ...

In Prague, always look up!!! 

Do you recall seeing this?

Always look up!

In Prague, always remember to look up...always!!  You never know what you might see.

Curious about this one are ya?  Um, yes, that is indeed a baby crawling up a tower.  Several babies to be exact.

Remember the artist David Černý? I promised that I'd show you his work as we explored Prague, and this is one of them.  Will tell you more about this one another time though.

House "At the Black Bear"

I think I'll take you on an Emblem Tour as well.  It's fun to look around for these house emblems, and interesting to hear why they're what they are.

Ceilings. I ADORE ceilings. 

Even doors have interesting details, but you have to look up!

House at The Three Fiddles (U tří houslí )

A walk along Nerudova is a must when you're in Prague.  It's my favorite way to get to the castle, mostly because I like to stop in cafes along the way and people watch, but also because the buildings there have these wonderful emblems.

Usually the emblem is tied in some way to the name or the profession of the family that owned the house. In this case, a family of fiddlers.

At the White Candle

And yet another David Černý creation...this one is known as Hanging Man.

Hanging Man is actually a life-sized statue of Sigmund Freud (who was born in Moravia by the way).  In 2007, the sculpture was part of an art exhibit at Columbia College in Chicago.  There it was displayed high above a nearby roadway, which caused many motorists to think that it was a real man about to take his own life.  Let's just say that throughout Hanging Man's travels, lots of police and fire departments have been called! 

Hanging Man has also been showcased at other art exhibitions throughout Europe, but now he's back at home in Prague, and we're happy to have him.

As I said before, always look up!

Happy Name Day, Blažej!

Today we celebrate Blažej.  Happy Name Day, Blažej!
Blažej is a masculine name of Latin origin.  Blazej is a variant of the name Blaise (English and French).