Glass Ornaments, War Era WWII Unsilvered at Copperton Lane Antiques & Collectibles

Rest assured that after years of buying, selling, and collecting vintage ornaments, I have learned how to pack them safely. I know how heartbreaking it can be to hear that awful tinkling when your package arrives and find nothing but shards inside. Your purchases will be carefully packed with no skimping on materials to survive just about any drop, kick or fall the postal service can dish out.

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Click here to enlarge image and see more about item 5494: Box 12 WWII Unsilvered Glass War Era Christmas Ornaments, Some Paper Caps

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5494

Box 12 WWII Unsilvered Glass War Era Christmas Ornaments, Some Paper Caps A full dozen box of 1940s unsilvered transparent glass Christmas ornaments from the World War II years, when silver nitrate and even (toward the end of the war) metal for the caps and hangers were subject to military rationing and shortages. Five of the ornaments still have their original paper cardboard hangers.

This is a mixed assortment of styles and sizes, only one red ornament is solid colored and plain with no decoration but it does have that very desirable paper cap. The largest are the pair of 2-3/4" balls with flowers in the centers between painted stripes. There are six other ornaments with colorful stripes, both clear or transparent and with flashed background color. Three of the ornaments have wired tinsel inside for sparkle - the transparent teardrop and the two painted bells. The bells show the most color wear, though one red striped ball has a couple of drops of melted candle wax at one side. Otherwise the ornaments are in very good condition. The plain covered box is intact with no splits or tears.

American war ornaments were only produced for two or three years and are by their very nature scarce and finite in quantity (as soon as the war ended the manufacturers went back to producing silvered ornaments). They are highly collected today and will only increase in value as their numbers dwindle from loss, breakage, and absorption into private collections.

Circa: 1942 - 1945
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Shiny Brite and Others

Click here to enlarge image and see more about item 4568: Ringed Striped Lantern Shiny Brite World War II Unsilvered Glass Christmas Ornament

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4568

Ringed Striped Lantern Shiny Brite World War II Unsilvered Glass Christmas Ornament This scarce figural glass Christmas ornament was made by Shiny Brite during WWII. Silver nitrate was needed for military use, so American ornament manufacturers had to use transparent flashed and painted colors on their ornaments during the last 2 or 3 years of the war.

The ringed lantern is 3-1/4" high. It's decorated with white crushed glass mica glitter and painted with patriotic red and blue transparent stripes. In very good condition with no breaks or chips and only a little wear to the mica glitter on the shoulder of the ornament. The photo shows a loose wire hanger in the bottom of the ornament, it has since been removed.

Circa: 1943
Country of Origin: US
Manufacturer: Shiny Brite

Click here to enlarge image and see more about item 4809: Box of 1940s Japan Unsilvered Transparent Glass Christmas Ornaments

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4809

Box of 1940s Japan Unsilvered Transparent Glass Christmas Ornaments I have never seen a box of unsilvered ornaments from Japan before. I'm certain they were made just after World War II and were probably among the first post-war Christmas imports. Ornament manufacturers in Japan and Europe surely faced problems similar to US makers in obtaining silvering agents during and just after the war.

There are 11 thin glass ornaments just over 2" diameter, all but two with little round paper Made In Japan labels. They're decorated in solid transparent colors of yellow, green, cobalt and light blue, gold and red. There is one non-matching replacement ornament in the box, put there just to make an even dozen. The metal caps are obviously replacements, all marked differently with different countries of origin. it's likely the ornaments originally came with paper or cardboard hangers that were removed.

The colors are even and the ornaments are in good condition, just a little dust on them is all. The plain box is marked Japan and does not have a lid. If you're a collector of American war ornaments, this rare and unusual Japanese set would complement your collection nicely.

Circa: 1946
Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Post War Japan Import

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