Exhibited November 17, 2006 - January 7, 2007 .
19th-Century Ornaments and Decorations
The halls and galleries of the Taft Museum of Art are adorned with antique Christmas
decorations
and festive greenery, and the Dining Room table is set for a
holiday party with sparkling
china, crystal, and silver.
Traditional German feather trees made of wire and dyed goose feathers are trimmed with rare
ornaments from the mid-19th through early 20th century and surrounded by toys, figures, and dolls.
Featured are Belsnickles (papier-mâché Santas), Kugels (blown-glass ornaments with
decorative
metal tops), dresdens (embossed paper ornaments), paper dolls, and many
other
beautiful and rare ornaments on loan from private collections.
Organized with help from collectors in the Golden Glow of Christmas Past
Photos by Tony Walsh
Putz scene is by Darla and Jerry Arnold.
There is a German elastoline castle, homemade cigar box houses,
mostly
German figures and animals with a few that are French and Japanese.
Close-up of the putz German elastoline castle scene with wicker car
Rare pink feather tree decorated by Kathy and Stewart Gregory with
Czechoslovakian beaded glass ornaments.
There are Japanese candy containers around the base.
Blue tree by Darla and Jerry Arnold.
All the glass ornaments are German.
Note the doll head with applied glass eyes, the Dresden egg
candy container with a bird scrap, Czech beaded bicycle, and a blue serpent.
At the base are two blue fairy or jubilee lights and Erzgebirge miniature wooden toys.
German nodder is almost 36" tall,
and at the base are all German made candy containers.
Feather tree filled with 'end of day' glass ornaments, wax candles on candle clips
and a tinsel star. Note the picket fence. Around the base are Snowmen and many
of which are candy containers. From the collection of Kathy and Stewart Gregory.
Santa nodder holding a feather tree from Rick Finn.
Also included are holly decorated gift boxes and many antique toys.
Cotton tree is by Rick Finn and Darla and Jerry Arnold.
At the base are many antique toys. Note that the tree is a rare pre-wired
feather tree with lights at the branch tips.
From the collection of Kathy and Stewart Gregory.
Shown here is a rare green coated Santa, blue feather tree and Coke tray.
This tree is filled with spun glass, tinsel and die cut scraps.
Gift boxes decorate the base of the tree.
By Kathy and Stewart Gregory.
Fruit and vegetable tree by Darla and Jerry Arnold.
All are German glass ornaments.
Note the Bauchus grape face and the rare pea pod ornaments.
At the base are antique wax fruit baskets and an early printed stocking..
Angel ornament - scrap and tinsel.
This feather tree is decorated with flowers and butterflies,
all glass ornaments. By Rick Finn.
Wonderful collection of snowbabies!
