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Tinsel & Lametta

Metal Ornaments & All Others
Tree Stands

Tins & Houses/Buildings

  
         
 
  
 
Metal ornaments & all other metal items
  

The "all other" are e.g. chimes, cookie cutters, Glucks-Figuren, Nativity figures. On several images information has been added via the alternate text system, so if you are interested position the cursor on the picture.

8 x 8 cm. Same design both sides.
Enamel on metal, 8 x 8 cm,
same design both sides.
8 x 8 cm. Same design both sides
Enamel on metal, 8 x 8 cm,
same design both sides

Metal baby, judging by the hanging loop, used as ornament
It seems this is used to hang fruit on the tree.

Used to hang fruit on the tree.

Painted tin (I think), Mexican, 1980s, 9,5cm and 14,5cm high
 
Various cookie cutters
Various cookie cutters
These come from the States I have been told; there is a price label of Macy's on the side. Inside of the box showing the cutters and the red sheet with shapes cut out for easy storing.
These come from the States I have been told;
there is a price label of Macy's on the side.

Inside a set of 6 cutters; they come from Sweden, the Santa probably a replacement for the little man top left.

This has a set of 12 cutters. Inside the lid is a label with two recipes; all text in french.


Although this box contains cookie cutters, it says on the box “Cake Decorator”. Consistent with this description there were also some other decorator utensils in the box, see bottom corner left.
Story: I bought this box at a flea market. Afterwards, still at the market, when looking over the box, I thought it was funny that it said “Cake Decorator”, noticed the other decorating utensils in the box and remembering that there also had been an old sack-spouting thing at the stall. So I went back, asked if it was part of the box. The lady thought not, as it would not fit into the box with cookies, but said I could have it free.
Conclusion: I think that the sack-spout and decorating utensils were the original contents of the box and that the cookie cutters were just put in for easy storage.		  
This chime is one of several models made by the Adrian & Stock firm, thought to be sometime in the 1920s. The firm went out of business and Stock was bought out by another toymaker. This chime is either actual 1920s/1930s era piece, as the seller told me from stock bought at the time from a former Stock employee who kept them after the firm closed down, or just possibly 1940s/1950s piece made from the original moulds, but this has not been confirmed.
Lately I have seen another, same design, but the box has an older label on it, grey toned. So I think the one here is indeed of the 1940s-1950s, made by the firm that took over the Stock company.

Chime, on the box described as an"Advents- und Weihnachts-Glockenspiel" (advent and Christmas carillon), to be mounted according to the illusration on the box. The use of the bell as a central decoration is particular to this chime. The Christmas tree has glass beads hanging from the branches. The small balls (bell clappers) are made of glass.
The box bears the references "v172 GHG Nr. W 626 - VEP???MDN - Verlag Nr. 655/11". On the stand are the references "Heli", probably the company name, and "ges.gesch." (gesetzlich geschützt, meaning: protected by law).

Glücks-Figuren (Lucky figures)
The prefabricated shapes – hearts, bells, money sacks, sparkling wine bottles, anchors, jugs, pigs, different animals, etc. – first of all served as Christmas tree decorations, metallically shining in the candle light. On the occasion of the New Year’s Eve celebration, that at home always took place before the decorated tree – as it is again and again documented on family photos – the lead piece was removed, put in a small pan (formerly a spoon was used) and held over a candle flame until it is just melted and then poured into cold water. It quickly hardens again and solidified into strange figures and bizarre shapes. These forms are then used for the interpretation of future events, eg heart = fall in love; flowers = new friend; spoon = bad reputation; mouse = money and supplies together; carrot = the great love comes. In the booklet there is a long alphabetical list of interpretations. Sometimes small paper strips with text are inserted in the figures, as shown in the first set.

Lead casting is an old oracle and fortune telling custom, already in use in Roman times (ref. Bleigiessen, Wikipedia).
11 - Set of old, certainly pre-WW2 judging by the graphics on the box, "Glücksfiguren". In each a pink strip with text is inserted. One reads "Für Sorgen sorgt das Leben, Sorgenbrecher sind die Reben", a quote from Goethe: “for worries life provides, worry crushers are the vines”, a saying related to wine.
12 - This is a much younger set of "Glücksfiguren", probably of the 1950s or 1960s. In the booklet there is a long alphabetical list of interpretations for the bizarre shapes.

13 – Lead Nativity figures.

These are home-cast from Schneider molds, a German company, judging by the colors I think of the 1940s. Casting molds and kits were introduced into the United States from Germany during the early 1900s. Most of these molds can be traced to Grubner Schneider. They were sold, usually in pairs, ref. nos. 124 thru 129, for the three kings, Maria, Joseph, Jesus in the crib, star, three angels, shepherd; the cow, sheep and camel under 39 and 40 with other non-nativity figures; no. 97 the camel with an Arab; donkey no. 219 with a cow.
The two standing kings are from the same mold, but one is painted black which makes it less noticable; the shepherd and the man behind him, with his reddish flesh color does not fit in, also from the same mold. Some of the bases are green and some brown; maybe from a different set or painted by different children at the same time ???
A search on the internet revealed that the molds have been reissued under the same ref. nos.

Info: http://www.concentric.net/~Richcamp/toymolds.htm
Reissued: http://www.zinnbleisoldaten.com/shop/page/1?shop_param=
 
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