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Paper Ornaments & Dresdens
 
 
Paper ornaments were made in all sorts and sizes, self-made, decorated with scraps, mica, glitter, Venetian dew, etc.


1: Small paper ornaments, chromolithography on cardboard, thought to be early 1900; from ca 3,5cm up to 8cm high. Wonderful variations have been made;
described in the book “Bäume leuchtend, Bäume blendend.... Historischer Christbaumschmuck” by Wolfram Metzger and Jutta Tremmel-Endres.


2: Devil pressed cardboard
and chenille arms
3: Package of the ornaments shown in the next photo 4: Dennison’s ornament/gift cards ; package is shown in the next photo and the cards are shown on the package the lady is holding.
4: Dennison’s ornament/gift cards ; package is shown on the left
and the cards are shown on the package the lady is holding.

43:Two silver foil fold-up balls, similar to honeybomb balloons;
dia ca 11,5 and 16cm.

18:These stars were found together with stickers,
so I think they are gift dressings and tree ornaments

5: Large angel paper ornament, dimensions 25 cm wide x 17 cm high (from tip of wing to base of lantern).
It is sold with wings and string separately as shown in the second picture. The cover indicates that it is “Made in Sweden” by “E.O. & Co., nr. 6052”.

Translation of the text on the envelope supplied by Mr. Anders Jansson, curator of the museum Kulturen in Lund, Sweden:
"Hanging angel
With wings that can be pulled out
Wonderfully beautiful angel | wonderful colours
As a Christmas decoration
Can be placed in windows, doors, under lamps, etc.
Really nice Christmas decoration
Ideal as a gift"

Design is much in the style of Erik Artelius, or Helge Artelius.

Re E.O.& Co., production of scraps: This Swedish publisher was in production from around 1947 until 1960, when it was sold to the American Williams,
but production stopped in 1971. The originals were sold to England and Mamelok Press Ltd, still being in production today.

40: Santa cardboard hangers, ca 9cm high, each set comprises of two pieces that are slid together

45: string of paper signal flags. Similar flags have been used on an air balloon

46: string of santa's and snowflakes; Santa is dia 13cm;
total height when hanging is ca 1,60m; guess from the 1960s?
 
Below honeycomb ornaments and decorations, some Japanese 1950s and some German, probably pre-WW2

27: Honeycomb probably Japanese paper ornaments decorated with glass beads

28: Honeycomb paper ornaments, decorated with glitter, now turned dark grey

33: Paper beading, balls, dia 3,5cm, covered with satin finish

34: Honeycomb paper beading, dia 3cm, with silver foil covered discs, 2,78m total length

32: Honeycomb paper balls and bells with silver and gold foil stars
  

41: Two Honeycomb paper balloons, not neccessarily for decorating a tree;
on the left ca 16cm high with a green chenille hanger; on the right older and dia ca 21,5cm.

42: An old honeycomb paper balloon, not neccessarily for decorating a tree;
dia ca 21,5cm

44: Honeycomb paper Christmas trees; 32cm high

Folded card with honeycomb tree; notice the WW1 German soldier

Below is a collection of paper and cardboard ornaments. To some Venetian dew has been added, while others have been decorated with glitter or mica. To me it is sometimes difficult to determine the difference between cardboard to which thick materials have been added and papier maché.
I have found most of the items below or of similar fabrication in literature, either under paper or cardboard.

 


6: Paper or cardboard with Venetian dew. It is more pronounced on the butterflies
and the anchor with seagull. 		7: Cardboard covered with a fine granular material to imitate snow. 14: Beaded pram with cardboard top,
pink crèpe pillow with glitter, scrap
baby face, white tightly folded paper
cover with two stars.

17: This aeroplane and star were found together with nos. 15 and 16, shown below.
The bodies of both are made of cardboard, covered with mica, turned very dark brown
either from age or intentionally, and on top silver and dark purple glitter.
The inside of the plane is covered with gold foil stamped with red and purple triangles;
the wings, propeller and tail are made of thick silver foil.
The plane is 13cm long and the star from tip to tip is 10cm.

13.1: Paper and cardboard with glitter, foil sails, left boat has a hole in the top
where you could place a Santa.
The boat's body on the right feels like papier maché.
13.2: Paper and cardboard aeroplanes, the left either papier maché or cardboard
covered with a snow-like substance with mica, both with foil/spangles propellers.		 13.3: Paper and cardboard, the tank covered with an imitation snow substance and
the car with glitter or mica, tank has Dresden traction bands.

8: Paper or cardboard with glitter, bell is papier maché (?), the colored ball has been made with Christmas cards, made in Belgium. 9: Paper or cardboard, glitter or mica, red paper foil, red mica,
Dresden wings and greenery, ribbons.

10: Paper or cardboard, glitter or mica, paper flowers, scrap Mother and Child in chapel, violin has brown cotton top, snowmen have movable crèpe paper necks, colored spangles, cotton balls,
are not candy containers as far as I can see.

 12: Two hanging ornaments are made of a paper disc with two papier maché (?) balls
on either side and then wrapped with raffia, small light green and light blue beads, tinsel/cotton thread.
15: Cardboard ornaments, supposed to be towers or mills.
When I found them, together with no. 16, next picture, and no. 17, somewhere above,
the cat was loose in the box. I thought at first it was meant to go with the lovely red witch,
but only on the other was there black residue on the top, matching the paw of the cat.
The body of both is covered with white mica with multicolored glitter on top.
They are 10cm high, not counting the cat.

16: These two, found together with 15 and 17.
The left one is made of two cardboard disks, held together with three stitches,
and silk green tassels and spangles on either side, covered all over with mica and then
with multicolored glitter.
The Christmas tree is made of crèpe paper, white and green, turned into the shape of a Christmas tree and decorated with silver glitter. A truly lovely paper ornament.
Both about 9cm high, not counting the tassels.

19: Lovely glitter cat with green eyes
and silver thread whiskers.

30: Double side star, with
mica stars and colored glitter


29: Gondola, cardboard, glitter and Dresden hut; 13cm wide;
I have seen one with a Santa inserted, which I think was not original.

31: cardboard baskets covered with glitter,
tinsel handle and filled with paper grass and flowers;
total ca 12 à 13cm high.

38 : wooden crib, covered with silver glitter, with scrap Baby Jesus on a bed of tinsel; also shown under "wood"
total ca 9cm high

39: cardboard star with paper
Baby Jesus; dia ca 8cm

11: Cardboard butterfly with glitter
and colored spangles

11b: Butterfly with Dresdner wings,
papier maché body, glass balls.
  

37: tinsel and paper handbag,
sometimes labeled Sebnitz or
Dresden; total 8cm high
  

35: small paper flower baskets made of pink and green crèpe paper and foil handles,
filled with paper strips and red and blue glass (?) flowers;
4cm high, not counting the handle; could also be used as candy containers

21-22-23: Three stars, 12cm, made by children in school in Ronse, Belgium;
they came together with gift cards, crèches and the two ornaments below

24: 9cm high

25: 9cm high

20: Not very old I think, but
very amusing with the yellow
bird and the flowers
 

36: An old cardboard star, probably for a treetop, sprinkled with glitter,now dark gray, and mica;
a gold and green paper flower fixed with a clear glass yellow bead; 19cm wide

A folder, "Alles voor Kerstmis" (all for Christmas) by Marian Hesper-Sint, published by Selected n.v. Den Haag, with an instruction booklet how to make all sorts of paper ornaments,
lanterns, candy containers, stars, birds, etc. Included are sheets of red, white, silver and gold paper. Period 1945-1967 (http://www.historischmuseumdeventer.nl/collectie/zoeken#/detail?id=208084).
Dresden Ornaments
Below some medals (Cotillon-Orden), produced ca 1880-1900, but I think some of the ones below are later. Materials used are pressed paper, cork, silk, foil. Diameter between 8 - 6cm.

ca 6cm diameter

ca 6 à 7cm diameter

ca 8cm diameter
 
Other Dresden ornaments

ca 5,5cm high candy container, same both sides

ca 7cm high and 6cm wide
Dresden ornament
    

Rabbits and chick Russian "Dresden" ornaments; ca 11cm high

Grouse and cock Russian "Dresden" ornaments;
ca 9,5cm high

Golden angels, back and front, 10,5cm high
  
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