Object of the Month: December 2023

Christmas Decorations

Chosen by: Angela Robinson, Community Co-Producer

Unknown maker, 20th century

Glass, chenille pipe cleaner, metal 

The first decorated Christmas trees were adorned with apples, white candy canes, and pastries in the shapes of stars, hearts, and flowers.

Glass baubles were first made in Lauscha, Germany by Hans Greiner. In 1847 he began to make Christmas ornaments in the shape of fruit and nuts.

The glass baubles were originally created by heating a glass tube over a flame, inserting the tube into a clay mould and blowing the heated glass to expand into the shape of the mould. Afterwards the decorations were silvered inside with a special compound of silver nitrate and sugar water.

The Object of the Month can be seen in person throughout December 2023 at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.