This research was supported by Marie Curie European Reintegration Grant within the 7th European Community Framework Program. This monograph is based on researches that were also conducted in the framework of the project "Moravia and the World: Art in the Open Multicultural Space" (MSM 6198959225). Chapters Two, Three, and Four of the present book are revised versions of earlier publications. Bibliographical references to these publications are given in the fi rst footnotes of each chapter respectively.