Gablonz ornament
Material: Glass beads, wire, glass tubes
Size: 20 cm high, 7,5 cm wide
Age: around 1930
Origin: Czech, Gablonz
Condition:
Condition is good
Description:
Antique Christmas ornament from Gablonz, circa 1930. This delicate wire-mounted ornament features two nested diamond-shaped frames made of silvered glass beads. Larger silver and bright yellow glass baubles adorn the centre, while teal-blue beads add attractive accents of colour. Three freely suspended, elongated glass drops with differently textured surfaces lend the ornament an elegant appearance. Small gold-coloured beads complete the design. The suspension consists of a pale glass tube with a glass bead and wire loop. Age-related patina and areas of darkened silvering emphasise its historic character. Please refer to the photographs for condition and details. A collectible example of antique Gablonz Christmas decoration. 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.
