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Christmas ornaments, baubles, "Christmas bulbs" or "Christmas bubbles" are wiktionary:decoration, decoration items, usually to decorate Christmas trees. These decorations may be Weaving, woven, Glassblowing, blown (Glassblowing, glass or Blow molding, plastic), Molding (process), molded (Ceramic art, ceramic or metal), Carving, carved from wood or expanded polystyrene, or made by other techniques.
Ornaments are available in a variety of geometric shapes and image depictions. Ornaments are almost always reused year after year rather than purchased annually, and family collections often contain a combination of commercially produced ornaments and decorations created by family members. Such collections are often passed on and augmented from generation to generation. Festive figures and images are commonly preferred.
Lucretia P. Hale's story "The Peterkins' Christmas-Tree" offers a short catalog of the sorts of ornaments used in the 1870s:
The modern-day mold-blown colored glass Christmas ornament was invented in the small Germany, German town of Lauscha in the mid-16th century.
The first decorated trees were adorned with apples, white candy canes, and Pastry, pastries in the shapes of stars, hearts and flowers. Glass baubles were first made in Lauscha, Germany, by Hans Greiner (1550–1609), who produced garlands of glass beads and tin figures that could be hung on trees. The popularity of these decorations grew into the production of glass figures made by highly skilled artisans with clay molds.
The artisans heated a glass tube over a flame, then inserted the tube into a clay mold, blowing the heated glass to expand into the shape of the mold. The original ornaments were only in the shape of fruits and nuts.
After the glass cooled, a silver nitrate solution was swirled into it, a silvering technique developed in the 1850s by Justus von Liebig. After the nitrate solution dried, the ornament was hand-painted and topped with a cap and hook.Ace Collins ''Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas''. 2003; Zondervan.
After World War II, the Volkskammer, East German government turned most of Lauscha's glassworks into state-owned entities, and production of baubles in Lauscha ceased. After the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin Wall came down, most of the firms were reestablished as private companies. As of 2009, there are still about 20 small glass-blowing firms active in Lauscha that produce baubles. One of the producers is Krebs Glas Lauscha, part of the Krebs family, which is now one of the largest producers of glass ornaments worldwide.
File:Design of a glass christmas ornament.jpg, Design of a glass Christmas ornament
File:Sculpturing to produce a mould for a christmas glass ornament.jpg, Sculpturing to produce a mould for a Christmas glass ornament
File:Blowing Glass ornament fabrication Lauscha.jpg, Blowing glass ornament fabrication
File:Silvering of glass ornaments Lauscha.jpg, Silvering of glass ornaments
File:Painting of a Glass christmas ornament.jpg, Painting of a glass Christmas ornament
File:Christmas bauble.jpg, Bauble, or ball ornament
File:Blue Christmas ornament.jpg, Blue glass ornament
File:2006 Blue Room Christmas tree - closeup of ornamentation.jpg, Imitation tree snow
File:Christmas ornament snowman lights .JPG, Glass snowman ornament
File:Christmas Tree Ornament 2006 - 146F.jpg, Red and gold ornamented bauble
File:Christmas-Angel-Decoration.jpg, Angel decoration
File:Christmas baubles 08 - 01.JPG, Glass Fabergé egg as a decoration.
File:Christmas Bears.jpg, Bear ornament
File:Christmas tree decorations, Brisbane, 2020, 02.jpg, Straw ornaments
File:Crochet Xmas ornaments.jpg, Crochet ornaments
File:Welsh Christmas (31768276526).jpg, Cloth ornament
File:End the commercialisation of Christmas (6556334049).jpg, Angel as tree top decoration
File:Pre-1939 Polish XMAS ornament 03a.JPG, Pre-1939 Polish snowman ornament
File:Christmas owl 08 01.JPG, Glass owl ornament
File:See through painted Christmas bauble on stand.jpg, Hand-painted glass bauble
File:Bombki ze wstazek.jpg, Polish ''bombki'' baubles made with the kanzashi method
File:Popcorn garland on Christmas tree.jpg, Popcorn garland on Christmas tree
File:Stringing lights on Christmas tree.jpg, Stringing lights on Christmas tree
File:Wraxall 2014 MMB 07 Christmas Tree.jpg, Christmas tree with Tinsel, tinsel garland.
File:Christmas ornament 1943.jpg, Christmas tree with Tinsel#Figurative_use, tinsel lametta (long narrow strips)
German glass ornaments in America
. ''Max Kade Institute Friends Newsletter'', vol. 12, no. 4 (Winter 2003): 1,12.
Christmas ornaments, baubles, "Christmas bulbs" or "Christmas bubbles" are wiktionary:decoration, decoration items, usually to decorate Christmas trees. These decorations may be Weaving, woven, Glassblowing, blown (Glassblowing, glass or Blow molding, plastic), Molding (process), molded (Ceramic art, ceramic or metal), Carving, carved from wood or expanded polystyrene, or made by other techniques.
Ornaments are available in a variety of geometric shapes and image depictions. Ornaments are almost always reused year after year rather than purchased annually, and family collections often contain a combination of commercially produced ornaments and decorations created by family members. Such collections are often passed on and augmented from generation to generation. Festive figures and images are commonly preferred.
Lucretia P. Hale's story "The Peterkins' Christmas-Tree" offers a short catalog of the sorts of ornaments used in the 1870s:
The modern-day mold-blown colored glass Christmas ornament was invented in the small Germany, German town of Lauscha in the mid-16th century.
History
Invention
The first decorated trees were adorned with apples, white candy canes, and Pastry, pastries in the shapes of stars, hearts and flowers. Glass baubles were first made in Lauscha, Germany, by Hans Greiner (1550–1609), who produced garlands of glass beads and tin figures that could be hung on trees. The popularity of these decorations grew into the production of glass figures made by highly skilled artisans with clay molds.
The artisans heated a glass tube over a flame, then inserted the tube into a clay mold, blowing the heated glass to expand into the shape of the mold. The original ornaments were only in the shape of fruits and nuts.
After the glass cooled, a silver nitrate solution was swirled into it, a silvering technique developed in the 1850s by Justus von Liebig. After the nitrate solution dried, the ornament was hand-painted and topped with a cap and hook.Ace Collins ''Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas''. 2003; Zondervan.
Export
Other glassblowers in Lauscha recognised the growing popularity of Christmas baubles and began producing them in various designs. Soon, the whole of Germany started to buy Christmas glassware from Lauscha. On Christmas Eve 1832, a young Queen Victoria, Victoria wrote about her delight at having a tree, hung with Christmas lights (holiday decoration), lights, ornaments, and presents placed round it. In the 1840s, after a picture of Victoria's Christmas tree was shown in a London newspaper decorated with glass ornaments and baubles from her husband Albert, Prince Consort, Prince Albert's native Germany, Lauscha began exporting its products throughout Europe. In the 1880s, American Franklin Winfield Woolworth, F. W. Woolworth discovered Lauscha's baubles during a visit to Germany. He made a fortune by importing the German glass ornaments to the United States.Mass production
William DeMuth created the first American-made glass ornaments in New York in 1870. In 1880, F. W. Woolworth Company, Woolworth's began selling Lauscha glass ornaments. Other stores began selling Christmas ornaments by the late 19th century and by 1910, Woolworth's had gone national with over 1000 stores bringing Christmas ornaments across America. New suppliers popped up everywhere including Dresden die-cut fiberboard ornaments which were popular among families with small children. By the 20th century, Woolworth's had imported 200,000 ornaments and topped $25 million in sales from Christmas decorations alone. As of 2009, the Christmas decoration industry ranks second to gifts in seasonal sales. Many silver companies, such as Gorham Manufacturing Company, Gorham, Wallace, Towle Silversmiths, Towle, Lunt Silversmiths, Lunt and Reed & Barton, began manufacturing silver Christmas ornaments in 1970 and 1971. In 1973, Hallmark Cards started manufacturing Christmas ornaments. The first collection included 18 ornaments, including six glass ball ornaments. The Hallmark Keepsake Ornament collection is dated and available for just one year. By 1998, 11 million American households collected Hallmark ornaments, and 250,000 people were member of the Keepsake Ornament Collector's Club. There were as many as 400 local Keepsake Ornament Collector's Club chapters in the US. One noted Christmas ornament authority is Clara Johnson Scroggins who has written extensively on the topic and has one of the largest private collections of Christmas ornaments. In 1996, the ornament industry generated $2.4 billion in total annual sales, an increase of 25% over the previous year. Industry experts estimated more than 22 million US households collected Christmas ornaments, and that 75% of those households collected Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments.Post World War II
After World War II, the Volkskammer, East German government turned most of Lauscha's glassworks into state-owned entities, and production of baubles in Lauscha ceased. After the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin Wall came down, most of the firms were reestablished as private companies. As of 2009, there are still about 20 small glass-blowing firms active in Lauscha that produce baubles. One of the producers is Krebs Glas Lauscha, part of the Krebs family, which is now one of the largest producers of glass ornaments worldwide.
Modern baubles
Although glass baubles are still produced, as expensive good-quality ornaments often found at markets, baubles are now frequently made from plastic and available worldwide in a massive variety of shapes, colours and designs. There are a large number of manufacturers producing sophisticated Christmas glass ornaments in Poland, which produce "'':pl:bombka, bombka''" or the plural form "''bombki''"; and millions of glass-blown Christmas ornaments are made year-round in Tlalpujahua, Michoacan, Mexico, and exported to Spain, New Zealand and France. They are also made in Chignahuapan, Puebla, Mexico.Handcrafted
Handcrafted Christmas ornaments have become a staple of craft fairs, and many smaller online businesses owe much of their success to both the internet and the growth of craft stores. Sugar cookies, popcorn balls, gingerbread and many types of List of cookies, cookies can be used as ornaments.Manufacture of handmade glass ornaments
Types
See also
* Christmas tree * Pleated Christmas hearts * Snow baby * Tree-topper * Witch ballReferences
Further reading
* Brenner, Robert.German glass ornaments in America
. ''Max Kade Institute Friends Newsletter'', vol. 12, no. 4 (Winter 2003): 1,12.
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Christmas Ornament Christmas decorations, Ornament Christmas trees, Ornament Christmas in Germany, Ornament