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Seiffen
The town of Seiffen is located in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, which is in the central south of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. The earliest record of the town dates to 1324 when it was referred to as "Cynsifen". Seiffen nestles in the heart of the Ore Mountains (German: ''Erzgebirge''), which are famous for many Christmas traditions. As the silver and tin deposits declined, former miners had to look for new ways to feed their families. In addition to lace making and weaving, the local population turned to wood carving. Nutcrackers, "smoking men", Christmas pyramids (carousels with figures of the Christmas story or from mining) and ''Schwibbögen'' (wooden candle arches, displayed in windows, symbolising the opening of a mine) are some of many Christmas goods made in the Ore Mountains. Seiffen is a centre of the wooden toy industry. History The history of Seiffen started when miners opened up the district 700 years ago. With the recession of ore mining in the area, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ore Mountain Toy Museum, Seiffen
The Ore Mountain Toy Museum in Seiffen (german: Erzgebirgische Spielzeugmuseum Seiffen) is an internationally known museum of Ore Mountain toys and Ore Mountain folk art. It was opened in 1953 in Seiffen. In 1973 it was joined by the Ore Mountains Open-Air Museum (''Erzgebirgische Freilichtmuseum''), a folk art and local historic museum with 14 houses typical of the Ore Mountains before 1900 on the edge of the toy village. History The history of the toy museum began with the Seiffen Wooden Toy and Merchandise Exhibition (''Holzspielwaren- und Holzwaren-Ausstellung Seiffen'') that took place from 9 July to 3 August 1914 in the Albert Salon. For an entry fee of 50 pfennigs – 25 pfennigs for children – visitors were fascinated, for example, by a Noah's Ark with 300 animals, chess pieces, products of the ''reifendrehen'' woodturning craft that was only carried out in Seiffen at the time by a compulsory guild (''Zwangsinnung''), as well as larger animal figures, that were cut ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ore Mountain Folk Art
Ore Mountain folk art (german: link=no, Erzgebirgische Volkskunst) is a well-known form of highly artistic wood carving from East Germany. It encompasses the diverse forms of expression of the creative work beyond the classical or the modern arts, and in particular the production of figures, sculptures and paintings. In a broader sense, the people's poetry, literature, and the Ore Mountain songs are in itself the folk art. The Ore Mountains claim to be the largest, enclosed folk art area in Germany. One of the more important aspects of the Ore Mountain folk art is the production of material products. The art's historical origin is closely linked to mining, which has been significant in shaping the development of the Ore Mountains since the 12th century. The economic downturn of the mining industry, or its widespread decline in the 19th century, encouraged the emergence of supplementary and replacement income, depending on local conditions. The motifs of this Ore Mountain wood ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reifendrehen
''Reifendrehen'' is a unique type of toy manufacture using wood turning techniques that was developed in the Ore Mountains in the vicinity of the town of Seiffen/Erzgeb., Seiffen and continues there to the present day. The process produces small animals and other figures or even little wooden houses in outline, that are used as toys or to decorate Christmas pyramids or Nativity scenes. The animals and figures (''Reifentiere'' and ''Reifenfiguren'') so produced are an inherent part of Ore Mountain folk art. Production In the process known as ''Reifendrehen'' (literally "tyre turning" or “hoop turning”) a suitable piece of wood, as far as possible free of splits, is worked on a special wood lathe to produce a wooden ring with a diameter of about 30 to 50 centimetres, the cross-section of which forms the outline of the desired figure. Small slices are then sawn or split off the ring with a sharp knife. These are used as the raw material from which the finished figures are made by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wooden Toymaking In The Ore Mountains
The history of wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains is closely bound to regional circumstances. The Ore Mountains are located in Central Europe on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. For many centuries it was a countryside in which the local population eked out a hard existence from the land. Long and harsh winters restricted agriculture; in addition the region had very poor communications. With the onset of ore mining a new line of commerce developed, but the hard labour and high risks involved meant that it was only work for young and strong men. Many were injured or died as a result of accidents. The miners rose early in the morning whilst it was still dark in order to go to work and did not return home again until late in the evening after dark. From those times comes a custom that has survived to the present day, the practice of placing lights in the window. These lights were intended to show the miners the safe way back to the homes of their families. It wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Auguste Müller
Auguste Müller (1847 in Seiffen – 1930) was a German folk carver, who was involved in Seiffen's traditional Wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains, wooden toymaking. Her works made from waste wood are now counted among the most valuable pieces of Ore Mountain folk art. She followed in her father's footsteps as a toymaker. Müller was noted for her use of metaphor in her carvings, which she made with a particular sensitivity. The Erzgebirgisches Spielzeugmuseum in Seiffen is in possession of some of her works such as the religious "Weihnachtstempel", which she made in 1918. References 1847 births 1930 deaths People from Erzgebirgskreis German woodcarvers German women sculptors 19th-century German sculptors 19th-century German women artists 20th-century German sculptors 20th-century German women artists Folk artists Women woodcarvers {{Germany-sculptor-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toy Museum
A toy museum is a museum for toys. They typically showcase toys from a particular culture or period with their history. These are distinct from children's museums, which are museums for children, and are often interactive – toy museums may be aimed at children or adults, and may have interactive exhibits or be exclusively for display. Notable toy museums The following lists only museums specializing in toys, whose collections are open for public viewing. Some museums such as the American Museum of Natural History have toys on display in their permanent collection, but are not full-fledged toy museums and as such are not listed here. Also, organizations. such as The Doll and Toy "Museum" of New York City that hold toy collections but are not open for public viewing are not listed here. Africa *Toy and Miniature Museum, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa Americas ;North Canada *National Toy Museum of Canada, Victoria, British Columbia USA *The National Farm Toy Muse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erzgebirgskreis
Erzgebirgskreis is a district ('' Kreis'') in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is named after the Erzgebirge ("Ore Mountains"), a mountain range in the southern part of the district which forms part of the Germany–Czech Republic border. It borders (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Vogtlandkreis and Zwickau, the urban district Chemnitz, the district Mittelsachsen and the Czech Republic. History The district was established by merging the former districts of Annaberg, Aue-Schwarzenberg, Stollberg and Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis as part of the district reform of August 2008. Geography The district contains the western part of the Erzgebirge, which also forms the border with the Czech Republic. Several rivers that rise in the Erzgebirge flow through the district, including Zwickauer Mulde and Zschopau. Sister districts The Erzgebirgskreis has partnerships with the following districts: [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nutcracker
A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version portrays a person whose mouth forms the jaws of the nutcracker. Functions Nuts were historically opened using a hammer and anvil, often made of stone. Some nuts such as walnuts can also be opened by hand, by holding the nut in the palm of the hand and applying pressure with the other palm or thumb, or using another nut. Manufacturers produce modern functional nutcrackers usually somewhat resembling pliers, but with the pivot point at the end beyond the nut, rather than in the middle. These are also used for cracking the shells of crab and lobster to make the meat inside available for eating. Hinged lever nutcrackers, often called a "pair of nutcrackers", may date back to Ancient Greece. By the 14th century in Europe, nutcrackers were documented in Englan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schwibbögen
A ''schwibbogen'' (, from Middle High German ', "to hover") is a decorative candle-holder from the Ore Mountains (Germany), Ore Mountains (''Erzgebirge'') region of Saxony, Germany. The first metal ''schwibbogen'' was made in 1740 in Johanngeorgenstadt. The early candle arches consisted of a single forged piece of black metal which could be painted. The number of candles varies with the size of the arc, the original design holding eleven. In the UK candle arches or candle bridges are marketed, often just consisting of a simple wooden stepped arch with 7 electric candles. These are not strictly ''schwibbögen''. Background The development of the ''schwibbogen'' arch is closely related to the mining traditions of the ore mountains. It most likely developed as a candle holder made from metal for the Christmas shift (''Mettenschicht''), a common dinner celebrated by miners, the mining foreman (''Steiger (mining), Steiger'') and the smith who had been responsible for the mining tools ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and its largest city is Leipzig. Saxony is the tenth largest of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of , and the sixth most populous, with more than 4 million inhabitants. The term Saxony has been in use for more than a millennium. It was used for the medieval Duchy of Saxony, the Electorate of Saxony of the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Saxony, and twice for a republic. The first Free State of Saxony was established in 1918 as a constituent state of the Weimar Republic. After World War II, it was under Soviet occupation before it became part of the communist East Ger ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south; it covers an area of , with a population of almost 84 million within its 16 constituent states. Germany borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west. The nation's capital and most populous city is Berlin and its financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr. Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity. A region named Germania was documented before AD 100. In 962, the Kingdom of Germany formed the bulk of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th ce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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