Angel Blowing Trumpet With Spun Glass Wings Figural German Christmas Ornament This old figural glass angel Christmas ornament was made in Germany. It's an angel in a blue gown blowing a trumpet, 5-1/2" high to the top of the pike. She's very unusual in that she has wings made of spun glass fiber on her back. This ornament is pictured wearing a yellow gown in John Lightner's book Christmas Rarities, Rare Antique German Glass Christmas Ornaments.

The angel has painted bare feet at the bottom of her blue gown. Her lips and fingernails are red, her eyes are open. Her sleeve cuffs are painted white, the horn or trumpet has a metallic gold finish. Her long wavy hair is blond (golden yellow).

The inner mercury silvering has degraded, causing a semi-transparent appearance when you hold the ornament up to the light. There is some wear to the finish of the blue gown as shown, as well as some flaking of the flesh colored face paint, visible in the closeups. The angel's back has some discoloration where the wings are inserted, I believe it's from the glue. There are no chips, cracks, or breaks other than at the pike which is almost completely covered by the cap. The metal cap is marked Germany.

Circa: 1910 - 1920
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Early 1900s German Import  

German Fantasy Double Hanging Glass Cone in Teardrop Christmas Ornament This unusual German blown glass hanging fantasy Christmas ornament is hard to describe. What looks almost like an inverted ice cream cone inside a glass teardrop dangles from a mercury silvered double pike glass ball or sphere. The ball is about 2-1/4" diameter, the fancy lower ornament is 4-3/8" tall for an overall hanging length of just over 7 inches.

The teardrop that surrounds the cone is unsilvered and transparent, decorated with white mica glitter and painted white stripes. The stripes are smudged on one side and the mica is discolored in places. The clear glass areas could use a gentle cleaning with a barely moistened cotton swab. The cone itself is silvered and the recessed ribs are painted in metallic red, green, and gold. The ball or bulb extending below the clear drop are green and red separated by a white stripe. There are some scratches to the finish in this area. It's unfortunate that my pictures make it look shabbier than it is and the discoloration darker than actual, but I think you'll love this rare and unique 1930s ornament.

Circa: 1930s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Pre War German Import  

German Gold Ball With Hanging Red Bell Glass Christmas Ornament An unusual circa 1920s German mercury glass double hanging ornament featuring an embossed red feather tree size bell dangling from a 2" diameter gold sphere or ball with double pikes. The blown glass bell has a wired crystal bead clapper inside.

The ornament is about 4-1/2" long overall. The gold finish of the ball has a nice stardust sparkle effect to the finish. I'm not sure what causes that in some old mercury glass ornaments - it's probably fine age crazing or something, but it's pretty. The bell still has great coverage of the red coloring but has lost much of its inner silvering which will give it a near transparent look when held to strong light.

Circa: 1920s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Pre War German Import  

Pair of Blown Glass Figural Bell Christmas Ornaments Two very pretty figural bell Christmas ornaments with pontils forming the clappers at the base. They're nicely decorated with pink, blue, and green geometric bands trimmed with gold glitter around the centers, blue draping with white polka dots at the tops and bases, all on a pearly white satin background with silvered undersides. The bells are 3-1/2" high and in excellent condition with no damage. The metal caps are unmarked, the ornaments date to the 1980s.

Circa: 1980s
 

Pink Silver Indent and Chartreuse Czech Beaded Cross Christmas Ornament A very pretty, delicate beaded glass Christmas ornament from Czechoslovakia, circa 1930s. The outside of the cross is formed by tiny wired chartreuse colored mercury glass beads. Down the center and across the arms are larger indented mercury beads, silver with pink centers. The cross measures 3-1/2" by 2-1/2". There is some typical deterioration of the inner mercury silvering, causing the beads to have both pearly and transparent areas.

Circa: 1930s
Country of Origin: CZ
Manufacturer: Pre-War Czech Import  

Figural Glass Clown With Banjo Christmas Ornament This is a late 1940s to early 1950s West German figural glass Christmas ornament in the shape of a clown holding a banjo. Note the unusual crossed legs. Apparently at least four versions of this musical clown ornament were produced - three are shown in George Johnson's book A Pictorial Guide to Christmas Ornaments and Collectibles, valued at $50 to $75 each. The other clowns hold a drum, an accordion, and a saxophone. This one with the banjo isn't pictured however, but it's definitely part of the same series.

The ornament is 4-1/4" high and in wonderful condition with very little wear. The inner mercury silvering has whitened a bit but not degraded or turned transparent. The dark red and green paint of the clown's costume is still bright, and the painted facial features are all intact. There are no chips, breaks, or other problems.

Circa: 1948 - 1952
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Post War West German Import  

Blown Glass Teardrop Christmas Ornaments in Wired Tinsel Cages Three very pretty blown satin glass long teardrop ornaments, each wrapped in wired metallic tinsel. They are 7 to 8 inches long total; one is blue with silver, one is green with silver, and one is beige-peach with gold. The metal caps are covered with the tinsel but I think the ornaments were made in West Germany. I have a fourth ornament in dark gold with green mercury beads at the bottom that I will include if the buyer wants it (second photo). It has a hole on one side but you may want to use it anyway, hanging the damaged side in toward the tree trunk, or you may have a replacement glass teardrop that will fit the tinsel and bead cage.

Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Mid Century West German Import  

2 Vintage Pink Shiny Brite Figural Top Lantern Glass Christmas Ornaments A pair of vintage Shiny Brite glass Christmas ornaments in the uncommon toy top shape, sometimes called lanterns. They're just over 2-3/4" high, one solid medium pink, the other a brighter, hot pink, almost magenta, with painted green stripes. In good vintage condition with no chips or breaks though the light colored ornament has a bit of color wear.

Circa: Late 1940s to 1950s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Shiny Brite  

8 Vintage Wired Tinsel Christmas Ornaments with Mercury Glass Beads These colorful wired tinsel Christmas ornaments are so pretty, and unusual. I'm not sure if someone made them or they were purchased this way. There are eight, each different shape formed from colored wired metallic tinsel and all but two decorated with mercury glass bead ornaments.

The shapes include a dimensional basket, spider web, star, spire drops, and others in blue, pink, turquoise, silver and gold. They range in size from about 4-1/2 to 6 inches high. My pictures didn't turn out well due to poor lighting but they're simply beautiful! Price is for the set of eight.

Circa: 1950s
Manufacturer: Unmarked  

Czech and German Musical Glass Christmas Ornaments - Drum, Mandolin, Cello, Horn Four vintage figural Christmas ornaments with a musical theme. The yellow and green drum is 2-1/2" high and has painted white dots. It's in good condition though the inner mercury silvering has degraded, giving the drum a pearly, semi-transparent look. Made in 1950s West Germany.

Next is an orange and black mandolin, 4-1/4" long. There's a little wear to the black paint. West Germany, early 1950s.

The 5" gold long-necked guitar-like instrument is a cello or base. The glass is much heavier than the other ornaments and it's older. It has the characteristics of an ornament made in pre-1940 Czechoslovakia.

The last ornament is a free blown French horn, about 4" long. This type of ornament was made in both Germany and Czechoslovakia. There is some inner mercury loss near the pike and quite a bit of wear to the red coloring at the curl, less to the gold color at the bottom.

Circa: 1930s - 1950s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Czech and German Imports  

3 Figural 1930s Glass Santa Claus Christmas Ornaments Three fragile mold-blown figural glass Santa Claus ornaments, made in the late 1930s, probably made in Japan. They're 3" high and have a wonderful antique transparency caused by deterioration of the inner mercury silvering while the outside colors remained pretty much intact. The ornaments look fabulous when backlit by a Christmas tree light bulb.

One Santa is perfect with no chips or breaks. The other two have damage - one is broken at the bottom, the other on the back at the toy sack. The two damaged ornaments are still displayable on your tree, or they could be used in wreaths, Christmas scenes, or floral arrangements where the breaks won't show.

Circa: 1930s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Pre-War Japan  

Red White Czech Beaded Cross Glass Christmas Ornament This lovely antique beaded Christmas ornament is in the shape of 3-dimensional cross, made in 1920s to 1930s Czechoslovakia. It's about 4-1/2" by 3", with tiny wire-strung mercury silvered beads forming the double cross shapes, and larger red mercury glass beads down the center and at the ends of the arms. The little beads were once silver but now they're mostly white due to natural deterioration of the inner mercury silvering. The red beads have some spottiness as well for the same reason.

Circa: 1920s - 1930s
Country of Origin: CZ
Manufacturer: Pre-War Czech Import  

Austrian Figural Glass Santa Claus Christmas Ornament This figural Santa Claus glass Christmas ornament has a plastic cap marked Made In Austria. It dates to the 1980s, possibly late 1970s. The 3-1/4" tall Santa is silvered with white mica snow for the fur on his cape and hat. His red coat is painted a flat red which gives the soft appearance of flocking. Santa holds a Christmas tree and has a well-defined face with white mustache, blue eyes, pink cheeks, and red lips. In excellent condition.

Circa: 1980
Country of Origin: AT
Manufacturer: Austrian  

Carboard, Tinsel and Mercury Glass Cornucopia Cone Christmas Ornament This pretty cornucopia Christmas ornament is a foiled and glittered cardboard cone with wired tinsel and red mercury glass ornaments at the opening, which is decorated with gold metallic paper lace. It has a gold cord for hanging and the original paper Made in Japan label is still attached. 5-1/2" long from the tip to the tinsel, in excellent condition.

Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Mid Century Japan Import  

5 Premier Glass Double Indent Lantern Christmas Ornaments Five American made Christmas ornaments from the 1940s by Premier Glass Works. They're 3" tall and have a distinctive, unusual lantern shape with round star indented centers on both sides and flat bands or rings and the tops and bottoms. They're silvered, three are painted in bright red and green stripes, two have red stripes with green tinted indents. The silvering is shiny and reflective on the ornaments with the green stripes but there is some silver loss near the pikes. The other two have turned an almost pearly white color from natural deterioration of the inner silvering. No chips or breaks.

Circa: 1940s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Premier Glass Works  

1950s Figural Glass Christmas Ornament - Queen This glass Christmas ornament represents a queen in a fur-trimmed dress and scarf-draped crown. The ornament is silvered on the inside, hand painted on the outside. The bottom is roly-poly style. It was mold blown and has a recessed pontil on the underside. Made in 1950s Eastern Europe, possibly the Soviet Union. Excellent condition.

Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: RU
Manufacturer: Eastern Europe or Russian  

Pair Fancy Decorated Blown Glass Figural Balloon Christmas Ornaments This style of free blown fancy figural ornaments are sometimes called hot air balloons, sometimes parachutes. They were made in West Germany in the early 1950s. The red and silver with white plaid type painted decoration is almost shaped like a big mushroom, with a bulbous stem below the deeply recessed upper dome. It's about 4" high.

The other ornament is more than 4-1/2" high. It tapers inward at the bottom and has a wide center band with thumbprint style ribs above and below. This ornament is missing some of the green center paint at one side as shown in the last photo. Both ornaments show minor wear from age and handling but are in overall good vintage condition with no chips or breaks. Extremely thin and fragile, the unusual shapes are hard to find today, I imagine because they were so easily broken and were probably more expensive than more common shapes.

Circa: Early 1950s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Post War West German Import  

Penguin and Bear West German Glass Christmas Ornaments These two glass Christmas ornaments were made in West Germany in the early to mid 1980s. The penguin is 3" high, the teddy bear dressed in traditional German clothing is about 3-3/4". They are marked West Germany on the metal caps. Both are in excellent condition with good color and no damage.

Circa: Circa 1980
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: West German Import  

Pink Curly Haired Girl Glass Christmas Ornament This 3-3/8" tall figural glass ornament of a little girl in curly hair and ruffled dress is silvered on the inside, painted or airbrushed on the outside. She looks an awful lot like Little Orphan Annie with that hairstyle. The tin cap isn't marked but I think it came from the U.S.S.R. Soviet Union (Russia) or elsewhere in Eastern Europe in the 1960s. Excellent condition.

Circa: 1960s
Country of Origin: RU
Manufacturer: Eastern Europe or Russian  

12 Premier 1940s Striped Teardrop and Shapes Glass Christmas Ornaments These 12 silvered glass Christmas ornaments were made in the 1940s by Premier Glass Works. They're painted in primary colored bands and stripes. Half are teardrop shapes, 3" and 3-1/2" long, with diamond indent centers on both sides. The others are various shapes - ringed barrel, bells, a round double star indent, and fancy indented drops. One of the smaller teardrops has noticeable finish wear, others have some as well but not bad. I noted two ornaments with chipped pikes under the metal caps.

Circa: 1940s
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Premier Glass Works  

Cottage House With Turkey Czech Glass Christmas Ornament Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia all made variations of this turkey in front of a cottage or house glass Christmas ornament. This is a Czech example, produced in the 1920s or 1930s. The thin mercury silvered glass ornament is mold blown, a little over 3 inches high. The roof of the cottage is blue, the turkey vivid red, the front and back windows as well as the trees at the sides of the house are yellow.

The ornament is in very good condition, just a little fading of the blue roof paint. When you hold the ornament up to direct, strong light you can see some slight transparency from natural and normal degradation of the inner silvering.

Circa: 1920s - 1930s
Country of Origin: CZ
Manufacturer: Pre War Czechoslovakia Import  

Germany Wired Scrap Blown Glass Sailboat Christmas Ornament Green This vintage German blown glass ornament is a sailboat, wired with paper scrap sails. About 5" high overall, the bottom bulb is oval or egg shaped, just over 2" wide but only about 1-1/2" deep (front to back). Collectors and dealers differ over the age of these types of German ornaments, but to me the very dark, almost black green and brick red color combination over silver suggests the post war era, late 1940s to early 1950s.

The thin, crinkly bullion wire has a number of breaks, and the mast has lost much of its inner silvering and is now a milky white color. The ornament does not have a traditional metal cap, instead a piece of wire was formed into a loop at the top for hanging.

Circa: Late 1940s - Early 1950s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Post War German Import  

Clown With Quarter Crescent Moon German Glass Christmas Ornament A scarce type of mold blown German glass clown Christmas ornament with what is described as a quarter moon on his belly in one of my books, a crescent moon in another. The silvered ornament has a flesh painted face and metallic red suit with bells or pom poms at the points of the green collar. White mica details decorate the feet, hat, and bells. The clown has a heart on his back, directly opposite of the yellow moon at the front.

The clown is just a shade under 5" tall. It's in very good condition with slight wear to the red paint, a minor paint flaw on the right cheek rouge as shown, and inner silvering loss that gives the ornament a semi-transparent look when held up to strong light. One of my books describes this very same ornament as "unsilvered" but I believe it's the same as this one, with the silvering having dissipated over the years causing the unsilvered appearance. Metal cap is unmarked, I'm not sure if the ornament is pre or post war production. Book value (depending on the book and of course condition) $90 to $160.

Circa: 1930s - 1950s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Pre or Post War German Import  

Father Christmas Vintage Glass Clip On Christmas Ornament This figural clip-on glass Christmas ornament is made of unsilvered mold blown glass, painted in opaque colors. It's 3-3/4" tall, and appears to be a representation of a Father Christmas or early Santa Claus figure holding a rooster.

The back of the blue cap has some missing paint. It looks like a glass chip in my photos but it's just where the paint flaked off. The pike is slightly chipped where it inserts into the metal clip holder. The tin metal spring clip is oxidized but works properly. It's not marked that I can see but the ornament was probably made in Eastern Europe between the 1930s and 1950s.

Circa: 1930s - 1950s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Eastern European Import  

3 West Germany Glass Cello Musical Instruments Christmas Ornaments A trio of 1950s figural musical instrument ornaments - cellos I think, made in West Germany. There are two peacock blue and one gold mold blown ornament, about 4" long. All three are in very good condition with only light wear to the color at the raised points, and a bit of inner silvering loss at the necks. One price for all three ornaments.

Circa: 1950s
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Mid Century West German