Gablonz beaded ornament
Material: Glass beads, wire
Size: 19 cm tall, 8 cm wide
Age: um 1930
Origin: Gablonz, Czech
Condition:
Good condition. with normal signs of age.
Description:
A delicate glass ornament from Gablonz, made in the 1930s. Silvered glass beads form a circular frame, with fine glass tubes arranged like spokes radiating from the centre. Small red accents highlight the intricate wire-mounted design. Two elongated, ribbed glass pendants at the sides and a gold-coloured drop at the bottom give the ornament an elegant silhouette. A suspension comprising a long glass tube, small beads and wire loops completes the delicate construction. The glass surfaces show age-related wear and a naturally developed patina. A charming collector’s piece for enthusiasts of historic Gablonz Christmas ornaments. Guaranteed antique – not a reproduction.
History of the production of Gablonz glass bead jewelry
The production of Gablonz glass bead jewelry has a long tradition. The historiography began around 1550 in Gablonz / Sudetenland (today's Czech Republic) and developed in connection with the jewelry and glass industry. At that time, the first glassworks were built and from these, glass grinding shops. In the countless Gablonz family businesses, the beads were blown up from glass tubes in front of an oil lamp with bellows reinforcement, or later with a type of Bunsen burner. This is how the "freehand beads" were blown up by hand without any shaping aids. Later, the glass tubes were blown up into "shaped beads", again in front of the "lamp", using a bead forming machine developed in this region. Father and grandfather were usually responsible for blowing up the beads. Mother and grandmother's busy hands then strung this bead material on wire in certain formations.
