OBJECTS Ornament Brooch, 1903 Josef Ladislav Němec (1871–1943), design Executed by the Vocational School for Goldsmithing in Prague Base metal, enamel, Bohemian garnets, glass; height 6 cm Josef Ladislav Němec holds a prominent place among the first generation of students enrolled in Emanuel Novák’s studio. Němec had a distinct personal impact on the jewellery produced by his father Václav Němec’s silver- and goldsmithing firm, and even more so on the early works of his own numerous students. In 1896, he joined the teaching staff of Prague’s Vocational School for Goldsmithing. Twelve years later, he was appointed the school’s director. Concurrently, he was a professor at the School of Applied Arts in Prague for several decades. Němec’s refined style, which was distinguished by prevalently floral ornamentation, had a profound impact on Czech jewellery of the early 20th century. The Volné směry (Free Directions) art journal devoted considerable space to Němec’s designs, as did the specialised Klenotnické listy (Jewellery Magazine). The almanachs issued by the Vocational School for Goldsmithing in Prague provided detailed records of the stylistic trends of the times. These yearbooks bear testament to the recurrent use of Němec’s favourite motifs, as well as to the plurality of creative thought. The 1913 yearbook is particularly noteworthy for the chess-like compositions resembling the Wiener Werkstätte style.