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Christmas Decorations

In Europe, the first decorated Christmas trees were adorned with apples, white candy canes and pastries in the shapes of stars, hearts and flowers. Glass baubles were first made in Lauscha, Germany, including garlands of glass beads and glass and tin figures that could be hung on trees. 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. The ornament was hand-painted and topped with a cap and hook. The Christmas baubles became popular throughout Germany.

On Christmas Eve 1832, a young Victoria wrote about her delight at having a tree, hung with 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 Prince Albert's native Germany, Lauscha began exporting its products throughout Europe. Large German glass ornaments from this period were called kugels and are highly sought after today. In the 1880s, American F. W. Woolworth discovered these Lauscha Christmas baubles during a visit to Germany, and he made a fortune importing them to the United States.

Today, sometimes antique glass ornaments made before World War II are called "mercury glass." This is a misleading term in that the silvering process uses only silver salts. Even earlier double-walled "mercury glass" used silver salts. Antique glass ornaments contain no mercury.

The modern-day image of Santa Claus was created in the 1840 Clement Moore's 1840 classic, A Visit From Saint Nicholas, and by the American cartoonist Thomas Nast in 1863. Each year Nast drew for Harper's Weekly magazine a new image of Santa, that by 1880s, evolved into a form we recognize today. By the 1920s the image was standardized by advertisers.

This category has ornaments and decorations from Christmas past and present.

HL1001

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Vintage Japan Santa Claus Salt and Pepper Shakers

This is a nice Santa pair salt and pepper shaker set, probably dating from the 1950s. Onme has a Japan label on the base. One Santa has a bell, the...

$8.99
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HL1002

Other

Vintage Shiny Brite Tear Drop Icicle Ornaments

This is a vintage box of Shiny Brite brand Christmas ornaments. The are labeled tear drops, but they are sometimes sold as icicles or teardrops. They...

$7.99
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HL1003

Other

Margaret Furlong Star in the Night Porcelain Shell Ornament

This is one of Margaret Furlong's beautiful porcelain "Star in the Night" shell shaped ornaments. It was hand made and designed in 1991, and it is...

$8.99
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HL1004

Other

Vintage Japan ART Co. ceramic Nativity set, Jesus and Angels

This is a vintage nativity set of Jesus in a manger cradle with three angels. It was made by the ART company of Japan, and probably dates from the...

$14.99
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HL1005



1908 Memories of Santa Collection Santa Claus by Don Warning

This Santa Claus ornament or figurine was issued as part of the Memories of Santa Collection created by the late Don Warning. The collection was...

$34.99
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HL1006

Other

1984 Hallmark Rocking Horse Ornament, 4th in series original box

This 1984 ornament from Hallmark was the the fourth in the Rocking Horses ornament series. The 1984 date is marked on the rocker of the ornament. The...

$18.99
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