Jaksic Stonemasonry
Workshop and Gallery

Altar and Ambo for the Church of St. Cosmas and Damian / Academic Sculptor Lovre Jakšić

- the Church of St. Cosmas and Damian in the village of Dračevice on the island of Brač began construction in the 17th century and is one of the characteristic examples of Dalmatian island sacral architecture. These sacral objects are enriched today with newly made liturgical elements: a stone altar and a stone ambo, designed and executed by our academic sculptor Lovre Jakšić, owner of the Jakšić stonemasonry workshop. In this project, the sculptor paid particular attention to integrating the design with the existing space while also allowing a dose of contemporary expression in stone. The altar is especially striking for its unique form: the front side is finely processed and smooth, while the side faces are intentionally left rough and broken, creating a contrast of light and shadow. The volume gently expands upward, giving the altar a monumental character. On the front, a cross is subtly formed by chiselling and scratching the stone surface, alluding to the wounds of martyrdom and the suffering of Christ. The ambo also has a unique artistic treatment. A strict geometric form is softened by an organic, wavy line that visually divides the piece into two parts. In the upper section, the symbols Alpha and Omega are inlaid using a special Brač stone called Drstva, symbolising the beginning and the end in Christian iconography. The altar and ambo are made of a type of Brač stone called Draževica, named after the nearby site where it is quarried, further emphasising the connection between the material and its setting.