Antique German Unterseeboot Submarine Glass Christmas Ornament Cherub Scrap This rare German submarine glass Christmas ornament dates to the World War I era or just afterward. It depicts the first German U-Boat or U-Boot, Unterseeboot U-1, which was built in 1906 and retired from service in 1919.

The silvered ornament measures 4 inches long. The words Unterseeboot U1. is embossed on one side in red tinted lettering, the top of the sub is painted black. On the reverse side is a horizontal row of 8 orange "portholes", you can see the detailed riveted metal panels on the hull below. A length of green chenille is attached to the ends forming a hanger. Best of all, a surprising and delightful paper scrap cherub face is attached to one end. A bit of old red cellophane is behind her head.

You can see a plainer example of an Unterseeboot U9 in Lightner's Christmas Rarities book with a rarity scale of 1 (the author has only seen this form once). It is smaller and not as detailed as this ornament, and it doesn't have a cherub scrap. A fabulous addition to any rare Christmas ornament collection.

Circa: 1917
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Pre War German Import  

Pair 1920s Tiny Figural House Feather Tree Glass Christmas Ornaments These unusual tiny mercury silvered feather tree figural glass Christmas ornaments were made in Japan in the 1920s. Just 1-1/2 inches high by 1-1/4 inches high, they're brick or stone houses painted gold with red doors, green chimneys, and purple shingled roofs.

The ornaments have some paint wear as shown, and there's some inner mercury loss at the back of one. This ornament still has its original metal cap, the other lost its cap some years ago and it was replaced with a slightly rusty steel bobby pin for a hanger. Miniature Japan ornaments of this age are scarce, especially such detailed figurals.

Country of Origin: JP
Manufacturer: Pre War Japan Import  

Scrap Cherub on Cloud Wire Wrapped Glass Christmas Ornament This fancy post-war Western Germany glass Christmas ornament is a 5 inch high round red sphere with long pike in the form of a balloon, wrapped in crinkly gold wires. Attached to the pike or stem and floating above a cloud of white cotton is a paper scrap cherub or angel, holding a wreath of pink roses. The original paper label reading Made In Western Germany is attached to one of the wires. There are one or two tiny, pinpoint scratches to the red finish from contact with the wires, otherwise the ornament is in excellent condition.

Circa: 1947 - 1951
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Post War Western Germany Import  

Sputnik Spiked German Indent Glass Christmas Ornament An unusual German blown glass Christmas ornament shaped like a Sputnik satellite. It's 3-1/4 inches high with six spiked arms around the sides of an indented ball with molded flower petal center, painted rust-red and green on silver. The inner silvering has suffered some deterioration, causing a semi-transparent, pearly white effect, and there is wear to the rust finish on the spikes. No chips or damage.

Age is either late 1930s or post-war late 1940s to 1950 (Western Germany). The dark earthtone coloring was being used on German glass ornaments in the late 1930s, but many ornaments from that time period were not imported to America until after the war. Germany continued to favor these earthtone colors until the early 1950s.

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

Beer Keg Barrel 1982 Inge Glass Christmas Ornament Mint in Box This West German Inge-Glas figural Christmas ornament is titled German Beer Barrel, depicting a wooden beer keg blown from the original antique German ornament. It's about 2-1/2 inches high in amber-brown with black paint, decorated with a beer glass on one side, an unknown symbol with possibly the number 11 on the other. The ornament is in perfect, mint condition and comes in its original box with paperwork dated 1982 and numbered 7451.

Circa: 1982
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Inge-Glas  

Mushrooms Lamps Urns 6 German Blown Glass Christmas Ornaments These 6 glass Christmas ornaments from Germany and West Germany are all free blown in shades of green and gold. There are two teapot or coffee pot shapes, one green with white painted flowers, one silver and amber with colored glitter decoration. They are 3 and 3-1/2 inches high. The handle on the green ornament appears to be snapped off at the tip.

There are two different styles of mushrooms, both with green caps. The 3-1/2 inch mercury glass 1930s mushroom has some wear to the green finish. The little mushroom is 1-3/4" diameter. It is unsilvered and is antique, around 100 years old or more. Both of these appear to have replacement, non-original metal caps.

The two floor lamp ornaments are 4-1/4" and just under 3-1/2 inches high. Both have some finish wear to the decoration as shown. The small lamp has a replacement cap covering a chipped pike.

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

Germany Wired Sailboat With Angel Glass Christmas Ornament This 1930s German glass Christmas ornament is a blown glass sailboat shape, wrapped in crinkly gold wires. Attached to the center mast stem is a hollow hard plastic angel or little girl (no wings) figure. She has a mica glittered white dress and cap with her hands in a muff. Her face is nicely hand painted.

The red double pike indented teardrop ornament that forms the boat hole is 4 inches long. The ornament is almost 6 inches tall to the top of the clear glass mast tube. The original paper label reading Germany is still attached. The ornament displays fine but does have some minor issues. Some of the wires are loose and need to be repositioned around the boat section. There are scratches to the red paint as shown. The base of the mast tube has come unglued - the wires help hold it in place when adjusted but it should be glued in place for more stability.

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

German Blown Glass Car Automobile Figural Christmas Ornament This German made figural glass Christmas ornament is are in the form of a passenger car. The shape resembles a Volkswagen Bug or Beetle and is therefore sometimes called a VW ornament by collectors, though in actuality it resembles a lot of 1930s and early 1940s era automobiles.

The mercury silvered ornament is 3 inches long and has a pike "tailpipe" at the back and an embedded metal hanger on the roof. The color is bright brownish or brick red with black or very dark brown trim, the headlights are painted yellow, and the wheel rims are painted white. There's a little light paint wear around the edges of the ornament as shown. This type of ornament was made in Germany before World War II and again just after the war in Western Germany - I'm not sure which time frame it belongs to.

Circa: 1939
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Pre War German Import  

Antique German Unsilvered Parasol Glass Christmas Ornament This almost paper-thin Germany blown glass parasol or umbrella Christmas ornament dates from the late Victorian era to the turn of the last century. It's 5-1/2" long, painted in a salmon colored unsilvered finish. The outside rim of the cap has remnants of some type of brush or moss-like trim which is mostly worn away. The top is wrapped in wire and tied with a coiled, knotted thread bow. There is no damage and the finish is still in very good condition on this 100+ year old ornament.

Circa: 1900
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Victorian Era German Import  

Patriotic Red White Blue Drum Christmas Ornaments in Box Four Mid Century silvered drum shape Christmas ornaments, made in West Germany. They're about 3-1/4 inches high, decorated patriotically in red and blue with white paint and white mica glitter. The ornaments are in excellent vintage condition with no damage or wear other than possible minor loss of glitter. They come in a covered non-original box.

Circa: 1960
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Mid Century West German Import  

2 Unusual Antique German Hearts Glass Christmas Ornaments A pair of unusual heart shape antique German glass Christmas ornaments, each a different style. The small gold heart has a deep ribbed indent in the center front with vertical ribs surrounding the opening and on the back. It's feather tree size, less than 2 inches high by about 1-1/2" wide.

The bumpy pink heart is 2-3/8" high by 2 inches wide. The front has an all-over pattern of hanging grape clusters or berries. The back is stippled with raised dots or beads. Both ornaments are in excellent condition with good color.

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

Glass Beaded Bell, Star, Fancy Wrapped Drop Christmas Ornaments Two vintage Czech and one Japan fancy wired beaded glass Christmas ornaments. The oldest is the Czech gold mercury glass ball wrapped in a geometric wired bead cage with three beaded drops dangling from the bottom, very Art Deco looking. It's about 2-1/4" diameter by 3-1/4" high, not including the wire loop hanger at the top. The gold ball and many of the tiny silver beads have loss of inner mercury silvering.

Next is the 3-3/4" dimensional Czech 5-point star, made with chartreuse green tube beads, tiny pink mercury beads, and larger mercury ball beads in blue and silver. No broken wires or beads, the star wasn't shaped very well for the photos but is in excellent condition other than some inner silvering loss.

The beaded Japan ornament is a bell or Christmas tree shape, 3-1/2" high by 3" wide at the bottom. It's made with silver and green mercury glass beads with a red mercury ball ornament hanging from the upper center. Some of the silver beads have turned pearly white from natural deterioration of the inner mercury silvering.

Circa: 1930s - 1950s
Country of Origin: CZ
Manufacturer: Czech Import  

Germany Fancy Star Indent Bumpy Glass Christmas Ornaments Three very unusual 1920s to 1930s textured glass Christmas ornaments, each with indented designs on two sides. The bumpy, beaded red and silver round ball has a green tinted recessed star indent front and back and is 2-3/4" high to the top of the metal cap by 2-1/4" wide.

The other red and silver round ornament is 2-1/4" high. The center indents are faceted star or flower shapes, tinted red. surrounded by two rows of silver diamond points, then thin red rings framing the outside of the ornament. The pike is chipped under the metal cap and there is a hairline crack to the glass on one side, invisibly repaired with clear nail polish so that it will not expand or break.

The bumpy, beaded silver bell is 2-3/4" high. A red 5-point star indent is incised on two sides. Still shiny and in very good condition, this ornament has an unmarked German metal cap. The metal caps on the other two ornaments are rusty and if marked, cannot be read but they are either of German or Czech origin.

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

Antique Puffed Star and Embossed Floral Christmas Ornaments A pair of antique late 1800s to early 1900s glass Christmas ornaments in gold and red. Note the two different styles of early metal caps, both used in German ornaments before the turn of the last century.

The bulging puffy gold-over-mercury glass star ornament is over 3 inches high and almost 3 inches wide. The glass is very thin and delicate. Embossed beading separates the six points. An all-over stippled crosshatch or herringbone design decorated the star except and the recessed star centers. The gold finish sparkles from fine crazing. It does have some finish wear but it's remarkable to have this much paint on an ornament this old.

The long-necked red organic ornament is 3-3/4" high. It has an embossed double leaf cap at the top. Narrow acanthus type leaves extend most of the way down the egg shape ornament, embossed with indented flower centers in the center of each leaf. The silvered glass is a little thicker than the star ornament. It has light finish wear as shown on one side only. I believe both ornaments were made in Germany, but I'm more certain about the star than the oval.

Circa: 1890
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Victorian Era German Import  

2 Antique Free Blown Glass Horn Christmas Ornaments A pair of early 1900s free blown glass French horn or trumpet Christmas ornaments, made in Germany.

One is twisted above the bell, the spiral stripes painted with alternating red, white, and green. The other horn is an unusual split pea soup shade of unsilvered green. This horn makes a whistling sound when blown due to the nicer quality brass fitting inside the bell - the other one doesn't make much of a sound.

Both ornaments have finish loss as shown, the twisted horn has lost much of the inner mercury silvering. The green horn was never silvered. Though this type of horn ornament was in production for many decades, the little bulges below the pikes and the black paint on the green horn are indications of their 100 or more year age. I added the metal caps for hanging as this type of ornament was originally intended to be hung with a loop of ribbon, string, or tinsel. Price is for the pair.

Circa: 1900
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Turn of the Century German Import  

12 Vintage West German Figural Glass Christmas Ornaments Twelve nice figural silvered glass European Christmas ornaments from the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s. Most were made in West Germany, a couple are probably Czech or Austrian, and the automobile ornament was made in Italy.

The Volkswagen-like car is the largest at 4 inches long, the smallest is the gold man-in-the-moon face (or sun face) at 2" high. The other shapes are a drum, flower, mushrooms, fruit basket, floor lamp, Santa with tree, church building, ladies' shoe, square cottage or house, and a teddy bear wearing lederhosen. All 12 ornaments are in good to excellent vintage condition with no damage, some have a little mild finish wear from age and handling, nothing serious.

Circa: 1970
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Mid Century West German Import  

Clover in Horse Shoe Antique German Glass Christmas Ornament A very rare antique glass Christmas ornament from early 1900s Germany, depicting a four leaf clover in a horseshoe - presumably representing double good luck. It's about 2-3/4 inches high. The clover is pale yellow, the horse shoe is outlined in pink. One side of the shoe is smooth, the other side has raised beads representing the nails. Age degradation of the inner mercury silvering has caused the ornament to have a pearly white transparent look and the colors have faded, but there are no chips, breaks, or damage.

Circa: 1905
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Early 1900s German Import  

Green Passenger Car Automobile Glass Christmas Ornament This 1950s West Germany glass Christmas ornament is a passenger car or automobile painted green with white trim. The shape resembles a Volkswagen Bug or Beetle and is therefore sometimes called a VW ornament by collectors, though in actuality it resembles a lot of 1930s and early 1940s era automobiles - the mold was first used in Germany in the 1930s.

The 2-1/2 inch long ornament has some crazing to the paint, mostly on the roof. The inner silvering has deteriorated, causing a semi-transparent appearance when held to the light. The metal cap is marked West Germany.

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

Red Green Merry Pear Inge Glas Christmas Ornament Mint in Box This textured pear-shape silvered glass Christmas ornament was made in West Germany by Inge-Glass from the original antique mold. It's 3 inches high with a paneled square or window pane decoration in red. A green banner with the embossed word Merry is at the lower front. The ornament is in mint condition, as is the original box and certificate numbered 7488 and dated 1983.

Circa: 1983
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Inge-Glas  

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  

Red Silver Blue Car Automobile Glass Christmas Ornament This 1950s West Germany glass Christmas ornament is a passenger car or automobile painted red and blue over silver. The shape resembles a Volkswagen Bug or Beetle and is therefore sometimes called a VW ornament by collectors, though in actuality it resembles a lot of 1930s and early 1940s era automobiles - the mold was first used in Germany in the 1930s.

The ornament is 3 inches long and in excellent condition, shiny with no silvering loss or damage. The metal cap is marked West Germany.

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

Pink Wired Glass Helicopter West Germany Christmas Ornament This pink silvered glass figural helicopter Christmas ornament was made in West Germany in the 1980s or late 1970s. It's 3-1/2 inches long, dusted with gold glitter at one and and wrapped with thin gold crinkly wire. At the top is a wired gold tinsel propeller and gold cord hanger. The metal cap is marked West Germany. In excellent condition with no damage or finish wear, perhaps a little loss to the glitter.

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

German Glass Pocket Watch Christmas Ornament Scrap Clock Face This 1930s German glass pocket watch or clock ornament has an embossed paper scrap clock face applied to the front. The red-orange silvered ornament is feather tree sized, just 1-3/4 inches diameter and somewhat flat or disc shaped. The back has an embossed rose and leaf design. There's just a bit of finish wear to the back, otherwise excellent condition. I have two, identical except for the placement of the clock face. Price is per ornament.

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

West Germany Glass Cuckoo Clock Christmas Ornament in Box This figural Black Forest cuckoo clock glass Christmas ornament was made in West Germany in 1982 by Inge-Glas. It's 3-3/8" tall, silver with green, red, and rust painted decoration. The ornament has nicely detailed full embossing, with clock face, cuckoo bird, feathers, leaves, and pine cone weights clearly visible in the design. The ornament is in mint condition in its original box with certificate.

Circa: 1982
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Inge-Glas  

Inge 1982 Glass Heart Christmas Ornament Mint in Box This Inge-Glas Old World Christmas glass red heart Christmas ornament was made in West Germany from the original antique mold. It's number 7490, simply titled Heart, and comes with its original dated 1982 certificate in the original box.

The 2-1/4" diameter stipple textured heart has a silver glittered heart shape center on one side, a glittered center circle on the other. It's in excellent condition, as are the box and paperwork.

Circa: 1982
Country of Origin: DE
Manufacturer: Inge-Glas