Dan Brown enchanted by the Magnus vase

Its base was marked with the number 162, referencing the so-called “Golden Ratio” (1.62), a mathematical proportion and symbol of harmony, whose hidden meanings Dan Brown applies throughout his books. “I was fascinated by Dan Brown’s and his fiancée, Judith Pietersen’s, depth of knowledge about Moser, and I was even more delighted by their enthusiasm for the Magnus vase. ‘You’re kidding,’ remarked Dan Brown when I showed him the magical cut in colours of honey-brown topaz. ‘Look, it’s brown!’”, said Martin Dvořák, Moser's CEO with a smile, before adding: “Something’s telling me that the energy present at Moser’s meeting with Dan Brown is sure to continue onwards.”

The Magnus vase artfully works with light, a feature well-captured in the photos taken near the Clementinum’s windows. The crystal vase’s colours change with the permeating rays of sunlight. Dan Brown received the gift on 20 September, a beautiful, warm day and summer’s final stroke.

Magnus vase

The Moser vase will surely fit in well at the Brown home in Exeter, New England. It’s furnished in a historical style, full of artistic artefacts. In fact, the author and his fiancée already have a place picked out for Magnus, and they’ve promised to send a photo.

Aside from the Magnus vase, Martin Dvořák also gave the famous writer the narrative book The Story of Moser Crystal, where art historians Jan and Lenka Mergl use 420 pages to describe the brand’s fascinating history, founded in 1857. The book contains hundreds of stunning photos. “I’m excited to read through it,” said Dan Brown, with humility and true admiration radiating in his eyes.

Moser Book

He presumably wasn’t even aware that he had already come in contact with the work of Moser glassmakers when he sat down at breakfast with President Petr Pavel at Prague Castle. That’s because significant visits here are traditionally served with beverages in glasses and carafes from the Moser crystal collection Copenhagen.

Fascinating guidebook of wonderful places

When asked why Dan Brown sent the hero of his books, Professor of Symbology Robert Langdon, to Prague, he said the following: “Prague is both beautiful and mystical.” He first visited as a student in the winter of 1984, and this was now his seventh trip. “Prague has been the mystical metropolis of Europe since the days of Rudolf II. I always consider the environment important; it becomes its own character. And Prague is perfect for Robert Langdon,” he explains.

His books appear in 56 languages, having sold over 250 million copies around the world. And they also serve as fascinating guides to wonderful places. Via his book The Secret of Secrets, the world can discover famous monuments like Charles Bridge and the Old Jewish Cemetery, alongside locations that are less known even by Czechs. They include the amazing atmosphere of the dripstone wall in the Waldstein Garden, the magical view from Bastion U Božích muk, a wonderfully revitalised space along the preserved portions of the New Town Fortifications, offering a one-of-a-kind view of Prague, especially at sunset, and the Folimanka Underground Bunker (open to the public), which was kept extra-secret during the Cold War and makes up the largest underground structure in Prague 2. It can shelter 1300 people and remains fully functional today.

If you’d like to see the Magnus vase that so enchanted the famous author, then take a moment during your wandering around Prague to stop by our historical Moser boutique on Na Příkopě, celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year.