Astronomical Clock Prague: Wooden statues have disappeared, they will get a new varnish
Four statues from the upper row were removed – Lakomec, Marnivec, Smrtka and Turek. “The reason is the extreme weather conditions, due to which it degrades their top coat, and therefore it is necessary to renew it every two to three years. The statues will return to their place in about two months, after which the bottom row of statues will be removed and subjected to the same process, “said the municipality.
Statue of Marnivce in his hand he holds the mirror in which he looks, as the apostles move, he turns his head to the side. It was destroyed in 1945, and after the Second World War it was restored by the carver Ducháček. It represents vanity. Statue of Lakomce holding a stick and a bag, which he shakes. The statue was re-created after 1945 by the carver J. Čech from Brno, it is a symbol of vice and greed. Skeleton or Grim Reaper is a human skeleton holding an hourglass in his hand. As the apostles move, they rotate them, which symbolizes the measurement of the time we have for life. It has been part of the astronomical clock’s decoration since the end of the 15th century. Turk statue he carries a lute and is most often considered a symbol of pleasure.
The Prague Astronomical Clock has undergone a complete overhaul in recent years. The goal was to return the astronomical clock to the form before the post-war modifications. In 2018, the frame of the astronomical clock was dismantled, which, according to astronomer Petr Skály, who was in charge of the reconstruction, happened for the first time in 70 years. The mechanics of the machine returned to the form of the 1960s. During the reconstruction, the electric drive from 1948 was replaced by the original mechanism, ie hemp ropes wound on wooden rope drums.
The painting of the astronomical clock has also returned to its original historical form. The white color was thus replaced in the chambers, which contain statues of the apostles, the original dark color shades. The apostles have since again had stained glass windows. The statues in the astronomical clock were also renovated and the lighting was given a new look. Due to repairs, the astronomical clock stopped on January 8, 2018, and was put back into operation on September 28 of the same year.