With incredible detail and widely varied designs, antique Christmas ornaments capture the imagination of all who see them. Because of their delicacy, most have been lost over the years. Yet for the collector lucky enough to locate those that remain, they are a treasured find.
Designs
Varying in complexity, antique Christmas ornaments reflect the interests of the age in which they were made. Commonly found animal ornaments range from pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits and fish to donkeys, squirrels, elephants and deer. Birds vary from rooster, goose and pheasant to stork, peacock and woodpecker. Fruit and vegetable designs copied edibles such as carrots, pears and pickles. Other finds include assorted musical instruments, sailboats, ocean freighters and horse-drawn carriages.
History
The first Christmas ornaments were gingerbread cookies, fruits and culinary treats. The earliest form of tinsel, genuine silver, was made for the wealthy on German machinery in 1610. Paper cornucopias that could be filled came later. Decorative ornaments began adorning goose-feather trees in Germany around 1850. Early decorations were nutshells painted gold, detailed hand-cut paper, candy canes and strung glass beads. Other ornaments were made of handblown glass. Americans used cranberry and popcorn strands. Lace and paper designs appeared on British trees.
German Ornaments
Ornaments made in the Dresden-Leipzig region between 1880 and 1910 were 2- or 3-inch cardboard decorations pressed in embossing molds while wet. A single ornament often consisted of several pieces assembled by hand when dry. Beginning in the 1880s, Sebnitz ornaments combined common items such as cotton, wire, foil, beads and tiny wax dolls. Delicate and detailed, designs included nativities, windmills, baby carriages, sleighs and trains. Each homemade ornament is unique.
Victorian Ornaments
Nineteenth-century ornaments reflected Victorian sentiments and interest in home life. The period featured simple glass balls replaced by imaginative animals, fruits and vegetables, fish and birds, and Santa figures, with elaborate creations of spun glass and die-cut paper. Reflecting charm and intricacy, children and angels were among the most popular, with heads made of bisque or scrap attached to cotton bodies. Designs include clowns, circus wagons, hot air balloons, reindeer-pulled carts, children with sleds, and animals perched on balls.
Advances
In the 1880s, German manufacturers turned to mass production, allowing Woolworth's to import and sell ornaments in America. The tradition was interrupted by World War I but resumed afterward. Along with businessman Max Eckhardt, Woolworth's convinced the Corning Company to begin making glass ornaments in America. By 1940, Corning produced nearly a third of a million ornaments daily. Eckhardt went on to create Shiny Brite ornaments, machine-lacquered and hand-decorated outside and silvered inside with a metal cap. The need for metal in World War II altered the production process.
Availability
Their delicate nature meant many ornaments didn't survive over time. Those that do end up at auction houses and yard sales, in antique shops, and in the hands of collectors. Many are for sale on the Internet, selling for as little as $10 and into the thousands.
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