Dresden Ornaments
Dresden ornaments are some of the most charming and
beautiful decorations ever manufactured for the Christmas tree.
Taking their name from the Dresden-Leipzig area from which they were
made, these little embossed cardboard creations come in a seemingly
endless variety of shapes: suns, moons, fish, every imaginable
animal, including exotic creatures such as polar bears, storks,
eagles, peacocks and alligators. There were miniature sailboats and
ocean liners, an entire orchestra of musical instruments, sleighs,
coaches pulled by horses with tiny coachmen - practically everything
one could imagine.
Most "Dresdens" were only 2-3 inches in size and were gilded or
silvered, although some were painted by artists. Dresdens were
primarily made between 1880 and 1910. They were manufactured using
cardboard, dampened to make it flexible. It was then pressed in a
stamping die, with each piece having an equivalent depression on a
counter die. One ornament was often made of several pieces which,
when dry, were taken home by cottage workers and assembled.
Despite the fact that many thousands were produced, relatively few
Dresdens remain today, making them highly prized collectibles.
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