The engraver received the honour from France’s minister of culture, Franck Riester
Engraver Tomáš Lesser from Moser has become a Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
He was honoured along with nine other artists including; François
Demachy, perfumer for Christian Dior, Anne-Marie Legrand, costume
designer for the Paris Opera, Thi Thu Nguyen, designer of leather
products for the Louis Vuitton brand, or Christine Maquel, designer of
leather products for Hermès.
The ceremony took place at the end of February in Paris, with French
minister of culture, Franck Riester, handing down the honour.
Crediting his mentor at Moser, Tomáš says: “It is truly a great honour
that my work has received such recognition. It is a prize not only for
me but also for VladimÃr Skála, who has been my mentor my entire life,
and for the entire Moser glassworks. Without the stable base I found in
Karlovy Vary, I would not have been able to dedicate my life to the
engraver’s craft and get to where I am now.”
After studying at the Secondary School of Glassmaking in Kamenický
Šenov, Tomáš started working as an engraver in Moser, where he remains
to this day. He is known all over the world for his distinctive style,
where he applies his sense for figurative art and an “almost” sculptor’s
sense for detail.
He creates pieces that stand out, due to their lifelike quality and
unique air of action. He created a large amount of works for Moser with
mostly figurative depictions or animal motifs. He was awarded the Order
of Knighthood for his peacock engraving rendered onto an original Art
Nouveau vase.
The Czech Republic can pride itself on having another Knight of the
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Past recipients of this distinction for
major contributions to the enrichment of the French cultural heritage
include Jiřà Menzel, Jan Saudek, Eva Zaoralová, Hana Hegerová, Magdalena
Kožená and Adolf Born. In addition, Václav Havel was a holder of the
grade of Commander, the highest grade of the Order.
This year’s ten recipients were nominated from among prominent figures
in the world of art from France and other European countries by Comité
Colbert, an association founded in 1954 to represent eminent French and
recently also outstanding European producers of luxury items. Since
2011, Moser has also been a member of Comité Colbert.
